Forgotten Memories
by Zero-onE001
Summary: Echizen Ryoma, the cocky brat, was now gone. All of her memories were all gone. Now, she's back in Japan, with a new personality, in hope that she'll regain her memories again. How could her senpai-tachi help her regain them? Oh yeah, she's a she. FemRyo
1. Prologue

**A/N: **Since I've got nothing to do, and I still haven't thought of what to write next, I'm editing the whole fic. And my Disclaimer will be written in this chapter only, since, sometimes, I'm in a hurry and I often forget about writing the Disclaimer. :))

Just telling, people. X3

Keep reading~

**Summary: **Echizen Ryoma, the cocky brat, was now gone. All of her memories were shattered, all of them are gone. Now, she's back in Japan, with a new personality, in hope that she'll regain her memories again. How could her senpai-tachi help her? Oh yeah, and she's a she. FemRyo

**Pairing: **Could range in a friendship pairing of AtoRyo and FujiRyo. I'm still not sure if this will make a good romance.

**Rating: **T. but nothing vulgar. I will lower the rate if people will say so.

**Warnings: **Sibling complex, and Atobe-bashing some of the times. :))

**Disclaimer: **I own nothing, just this fic. Some of the lines are adapted, too. Prince of Tennis belongs to Konomi Takeshi and I'm not intending to steal his work. :)

**Forgotten Memories**

**Prologue**

I ran and passed through the crowd in Japan International Airport. It's her arrival today, and I was damn late! I missed her so much! True, I always get her calls saying, "I miss you so much!" and "I hope I can move there already.", but I haven't seen her in a year for we had to move here in Japan first to prepare all the things we'd need, and she had to stay in America to finish her senior year in Junior High, her last medical check-ups, and of course, to finish her tournaments and beat her ugly opponents.

She's the most beautiful for me.

Damn these hormones. I can't believe I'm getting perverted over her.

After several looks in different directions, I finally saw her. Long emerald locks: check. Golden eyes: check. Porcelain-like skin complexion: check.

She's finally here!

Eh... Of course she's already here; I was the late one here.

She had her hair down with a light green headband to secure the strands in place. She wore a light green dress that reached above her knees topped with white sweatshirt, and paired with white low-heeled sandals.

Wait. No, I'm not a gay. I'm just used to her fashion; simple yet elegant.

So she's light green today, huh? I chuckled.

From afar, I could see a small pout of irritation adorning her face. I found it cute, especially when she does that while carrying her cat, like what she's doing right now.

I discreetly made my way behind her, careful not to be seen. I poked her sides which made her yelp. As she turned around, I expected an angry pout, and I was right. I also expected her pout to be replaced by a huge smile. Right again.

Ugh, spoiler.

"Aniki!" she cried, then proceeding to cling on my neck. This was when we are being stared at.

Oh, like I care. I can't help but to miss her.

I wrapped my arms around her waist. People would think that this was a complete pedophilia, considering that I am six years older than her. "I missed you," I buried my head on her neck, feeling the vibrations when she giggled.

I missed that.

As I felt my arms loosening around her, I brushed my lips against her cheek as a 'welcome back' kiss. She giggled again, returning the kiss.

"I missed you so much!" she exclaimed, and I felt glad. Yes, she did say that in her calls and letters, but it was still different when she said it in person. Something behind me caught her attention, and she beamed.

"Otousan!" she disentangled herself from me and bounced toward an old man in monk's robe. And like what she did to me, she clung on his neck.

Such a child.

I stared at the paternal picture they were making, and I almost smiled, had I not noticed the old man staring at me with his eyes narrowed and with a malice-filled smirk gracing his lips.

"Jealous?" he's at it again.

"Che."

He burst out laughing, and she laughed with him rather softly.

"Ryoga-kuuunn!" I heard another mocking exclaim in a girly voice and my eyebrow twitched.I tilted my head slightly to the right, facing the idiot Kevin Smith with an idiotic smirk plastered in his face. He approached me, shoving their luggage in my arms. "Be a gentleman and carry that," he said, folding his arms in front of his chest.

"Sure," I said rather casually, adjusting the extra weight. "I know you're not one."

He scowled.

"Kev, how's the check-up?" I asked, already knowing that he'd say, 'It went well'. It was always his reply.

"It went well." See?

"Aniki!" she suddenly darted toward me and wrapped her arms around my neck for the second time. She just loved to do that. "I've got to tell you something!" she grinned happily.

"What is it?" I was getting curious so I asked, holding her around the waist so that the two of us won't fall or something.

"I won all of my matches!" she sounded ecstatic, and I couldn't help but to laugh.

"You say that as though that was the first."

She pouted at me but I paid no heed with it. We all made our way toward the exit and to the garage where we parked our rented car. I noticed that she held my arm as we walked.

I smiled. She really did miss me.

We settled ourselves inside the car, the old man and Kevin at the front while the two of us sat at the back. As soon as we were comfortable, she was out like light.

That smile was immediately wiped off my lips as I studied her frail figure.

If that didn't happen, maybe her old self was still present.

Sure, she still loved tennis, but unlike in the past, the sport was merely a hobby for her instead of passion. She still says, 'Mada mada dane', but not like how she said it in the past, with that annoying smirk and fully-confident ego; she says it with a soft chuckle, instead.

Many things changed.

Not that I don't like who she is today; I just kinda... missed HER.

I felt that she still feels empty, with new personality that she didn't even have in the past. I felt her longing to gain them back. Her memories.

And thinking about it made me feel guilty, for it was my entire fault why—

"Even in your day dreams, you still blame yourself," Oyaji stated, gazing at me through the rearview mirror. Kevin did that as well, smirking that idiotic smirk of his. "Mada mada dana, Ryoga," he started, and I felt a preach about to come. "I know you too well. But I know that pint chibi over there too. Even if she didn't lose them, she'd never blame you; she would even kick the butt of that... whore. You two were both dragged into it, so don't think that it was your fault."

I can't help but to nod. My father can be unpredictable sometimes.

"I think you're right, Oyaji. Ne, Ryoma?"

That's right, if you hadn't noticed earlier, I'm Echizen Ryoga, and the one beside me is my beloved Chibisuke.

Yep, Echizen Ryoma is a girl.

Female, former cross dresser.

Why no cockiness? That's because of what happened two years ago.

The event that was on my fault.

The event that caused all of her memories to be forgotten.

All because of me.

Or so I thought.


	2. Chapter 1: Arrival

**Chapter 1: Arrival**

_Two figures danced at the middle of the ball, a tall guy and a shorter girl. The two of them were chuckling; laughing at each other's dancing mistakes. Another figure near them, while dancing with her partner, glared evilly at the girl. But as the song was nearing to its end, her lips were contorted to an evil smirk as an idea popped inside her head. She waltzed, leaving her partner in daze, towards the two chuckling figures, trying to get herself with the guy. But the guy just dismissed her, and continued to dance with his partner. She growled._

_Desperate times call for desperate measures. She smirked evilly as she gave one last glance at the girl before marching her way outside the ball. If she can't have the guy, then no one can have him. She pushed the button that controls the chains that hold the chandeliers in time that the two were beneath it. The guy took no notice of it but the girl did._

_She looked up and measured that if she didn't move, neither of them will not get caught by the falling chandeliers, so she did what she thought is the best thing to do. She pushed the guy in time that the chandeliers landed on her. It took the guy a minute before comprehending what really happened. And he simply can't believe what his eyes saw as he shouted, __**"RY...!"**_

"Ah!" Ryoma yelped, making the three people inside the cab stare at her. She blinked, and looked down, embarrassed at her sudden action. Ryoga raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, Chibisuke?" he asked and the girl continued to look down, not answering. Ryoga didn't push her to answer... _yet_. He knows that private is still private. He hooked his arm around her and let her sleep again, which she did.

It is three and a half of an hour to reach their house. And it took half of half an hour (fifteen minutes) to wake Ryoma up from her catnap, which failed miserably. Sure, she did change, many things changed, but that exclude her 'sleeping like a rock' attitude. Ryoga decided to just carry the sleeping maiden, for she isn't really heavy, inside their house.

On his way at the top of the stairs, Ryoma stirred, which caused one single sudden effect. The two of them fell... from the _top_ of the stairs... _down_. One Echizen and one Smith witnessed all of this, and they laughed... _hysterically_. Poor Ryoga blushed at the embarrassment, but didn't really mind it, for he was being overtaken by pain. On the butt. Ryoma, who is already awake, caused by a sudden gravitational malfunction, sat on Ryoga's lap, trembling as she attempted to keep herself from laughing... but soon _failed_. She buried her face on Ryoga's chest to resist her laughter.

"Maa maa, ojiisama, Kevin-kun, Ryoma-chan," a blue-haired lady spoke from the doorway, smiling a dazzling smile. "Ryoga-san is all red. Please refrain from embarrassing him."

Four heads turned to look at the source. Echizen Ryoma had her eyes widened as she ran toward the door, screeching, "Okaasan! Nanako-neechan!", while stepping mercilessly on a certain figure that was left twitching on the ground. She gave each of them a kiss and a hug which they cheerfully returned. Nanako then noticed something; _something_ that is staring at them for a few minutes. She tilted her head and grinned.

"_Jealous_ are you, Ryoga-san?" she asked in her usual sweet tone.

The Echizen siblings are known for their sweetness and closeness to each other. A certain Echizen Ryoga is known for his oversized sister complex and an Echizen Ryoma for her sweet personality (after the accident). Each and every people might think that the two committed incest, and of course, their own family is included, so, they often tease the older about this, since the younger will only laugh and dismiss the matter.

"Not you too, Nanako," a gentle voice that came from a brunette in a bun said while palming her face. Meino Nanako- the blue haired lady- just laughed quietly, "Now, now, Ryoga, why don't you bring Ryoma to her room now so she could rest?" she asked while offering a motherly smile. Ryoga nodded, while gesturing the younger girl to follow him.

As soon as the two were out of their sight, Rinko, Nanjiroh and Nanako turned to a certain blonde. Rinko asked, "How's America and Ryoma, ah Kevin-kun?"

Kevin could only gulp... _twice_.

**XxX**

Ryoga turned the doorknob in a slow motion, making it somehow suspense. Ryoma watched with anxiousness as her Aniki turned the doorknob. As they entered the room, the younger one gaped.

"Sugoi! It's... It's..." Ryoma trailed. Ryoga pat her shoulders.

"Like it?" he said with a wink. Ryoma nodded vigorously in astonishment. She looked around her blue-painted room and her eyes twinkled in happiness. Ryoga smirked.

"I had it remodeled since you haven't used it for years," he bragged, and then he noticed that Ryoma frowned for a second. She smiled bitterly as she sat down her bed.

'_Ugh…Wrong topic for wrong timing.'_

"I can't even remember anything of it," she sadly said as she looked at her lap, eyes brimming with tears. Ryoga felt that he, too, is going to cry. He walked over to where Ryoma is, and sat beside her. He held her hand with his one hand and the other came cupping her face, making her look up at him.

"Don't worry, you'll regain them, we'll regain them... _All_... all of your memories. I'm here for you, we're here for you. We'll help you," he said quietly, forcing himself not to cry as he patted the sobbing girl's head.

"But... But... I feel so empty! All of these years, I've tried to recover, to forget that I once erased all of my memories, to start a new life again, to rebuild and create new memories... but... but," she paused, then forced a weak smile, "it seems that my past still hunts me, I feel that it shouts inside my head, _'Remember them! Don't leave your past!'_, and those dreams... dreams that haunt me when I am asleep... I can't... I mean, it feels that they encourage me to remember... And I, myself, still long, still wonder... who I am before... And... And," that's when she broke down, as well as Ryoga who bit his lip to resist his tears. He pulled the girl in a tight but warm embrace and silently hushed her.

And the whole night lasted, with Ryoma, who quietly nestled in the overprotective arms of a loving brother.

**XxX**

_Click… click… click…_

_Giggle…giggle…_

_Snort…_

'_Is that a giggle?'_ a certain lad wondered while half-asleep and with closed eyes. He could feel the flashes that blind his eyes even though they're closed, also his numb right arm, and emitted warmth on the right side of his body. He tried to figure that out but considering that his eyes stubbornly refused to open, he did what he thinks is the best thing to do.

'_Might as well sleep again._

And so he did.

_Click…click…cli-_

"Waaii! Ryoga-san and Ryoma-chan are so cuuutte! They are the best _incest_ pair ever!" Nanako squealed as she continued taking pictures of the couple... I mean, siblings.

"What is enjoyable with _incest_? I mean, aren't you supposed to be cooking breakfast by now? Why the hell did you even drag me here?" Kevin asked, lying on the cold floor while trying to get at least a minute of sleep.

"I just want to show you how cute an incest is. So, please just shut up because if Ryoga-san woke up, my _incest scrapbook_ will be empty for this month. And that'll be your fault, Kevin Smith."

"_Incest... Scrapbook?_" Kevin muttered with a sweat drop.


	3. Chapter 2: Fujikun?

**Chapter 2 - Fuji-kun?**

At 7:30am, people in Japan are usually having their family breakfast or if not, they usually do their bathroom rituals, but in any ways, people usually eat breakfast first, and that includes the centered family of the story- the Echizens.

At the breakfast table sat the whole Echizen Family, plus one Meino and one Smith, eating their breakfast peacefully... Well, not really, because a certain blonde and a monk were laughing out loud, a blue-haired lady quietly chuckling, a brunette sighing, a tall greenette blushing, and a younger greenette simply smiling at her companion's antics and eating her breakfast.

"You must've seen your face back there, Ryoga. It's priceless! _PRICELESS!_" the blonde- namely Kevin- said, rather exclaimed, at the pissed-off Ryoga. Nanako and Ryoma chuckled, whilst Ryoga snorted, "Why did you even do that, Nana-chan? You even dragged Chibisuke and the idiot over here in it"

Nanako just chuckled again as she remembered what happened.

* * *

_Ryoma stirred and noticed Nanako taking pictures and Kevin sleeping (trying to sleep, actually) on the floor. She tilted her head and greeted, "Ohayou Nanako-neechan, Kev," while yawning._

_"Ohayou, Ryoma-chan," she greeted back as she continued taking pictures. Kevin just grunted and muttered something like, 'so early', 'stupid incest', and 'Ohayou, Ryo'._

_"What are you doing?" Ryoma wondered out loud while slowly standing up, but Nanako stopped her._

_"I need pictures for my Scrapbook and you and Ryoga-san already are my models. Can you still pose for me?" she asked with a slight pout and expecting stare. Ryoma blinked and couldn't help but to comply. She made her do some complicated poses until Ryoga stirred. And he suddenly pulled Ryoma into a bear hug. Poor girl gasped, and the she-devil Nanako takes advantage of the situation._

_She did what she thinks is the best at that moment, and of course, helping Ryoma is not included in her options. She took pictures of their current position at all angles. And Kevin, who is now staring at the two, wide-eyed, and sleepiness completely forgotten, was gaping, and at the same time, grinning. At Ryoga, of course._

_On the other hand, the sleeping greenette was having a mental debate whether he should get up or go back to sleep. Even though he wanted to wake up, his body doesn't obey. Who the hell will exchange a warm and soft pillow to figure out what that blinding light is?_

_'May be the sun,' he lazily thought. 'Wait… is it just me or the sun pops and hides out?...What the hell? Sun doesn't pops in and out of nowhere! And wait… is my pillow….**warm?**' he tried to crack one eye open and welcomed by alternate flashes of camera, or rather, the sun that pops in and out of nowhere. He mentally screamed, and then abruptly sat up; trembling violently as Ryoma harshly fell on the bed. The camera stopped. His mind slowly comprehends what had just happened. He stared blankly; then eyes widening, he just yelled as if he saw a Boogeyman kissing a Spring-heeled Jack._

* * *

"Forgive them, Aniki, Nanako-neechan just wanted her scrapbook to have contents," Ryoma explained thoughtfully. Ryoga snorted, "Yeah, perfectly understood that. But, to drag the two of us into this-"

"Hey, I have been dragged too!" Kevin cut him while giving a pout.

"I don't care… okay, where am I? Yeah... But to drag the two of us into this…!"

"Ryoga-san, your breakfast is getting cold," Nanako interjected.

"Yeah, I know but still… Wait… Why the hell do you always cut me off?" he finally realized that the two are simply… toying on him. They laughed, but stopped when they saw Rinko staring at them… _intensely._

During all of these commotions, the princess had not yet uttered a word (except her soothing explanation earlier, of course) for she was deep in thought reviewing her dream last night…

* * *

_The whole crowd cheered at their victory. They won the tennis competition, and their fans were yelling at the top of their lungs the names of their favorite player. A red-haired boy glomped the unsuspecting rookie of their team while a spiky-haired boy took off his cap and ruffled his hair, ignoring the protests that came from the boy._

_"Great game, Ochibi!" the red-haired player said while squeezing the air out of the smaller boy._

_"Yeah!" the spiky-haired guy exclaimed nudging the boy with his elbow._

_The boy just gave a slight smile and muttered, "I think so too, arigatou, senpai-tachi."_

* * *

"Ryo."

Two greenettes perked up and stared at Kevin, eyebrow raised, wondering why he called all of a sudden. Kevin, too, raised an eyebrow.

"I mean Ryoma, Ryoga," he said as if it was the most obvious thing to say. Ryoga snorted.

'_I can say that they love their 'Ochibi' more than as a teammate… I can feel it… That guy is lucky. He's lucky to have them… I wonder if he's strong, I want to play with him if I met him, if he is real, of course. It's just a dream, but, why is it so familiar?'_Ryoma thought, obviously absorbed by thoughts and oblivious to the heating fight around her.

"Che. If you haven't noticed, I'm a Ryo too," Ryoga countered.

"But Ryoma is the one whom I call Ryo, and not you," Kevin said, smirking.

"Ryoma once called me that so that is no surprising," he replied, not bothering himself to give a gaze to a now pissed off Kevin, and instead, continues eating his breakfast. _'Tables have turned now, payback time,' _he thought, unaware of the sweat dropping Rinko, Nanjirou and Nanako and uncaring Ryoma.

'_Fighting just because of a nickname? These two needed to cool down,' _the three simultaneously thought.

True to be told, Ryoga doesn't really like Kevin, but not to the point that he hates him, he's just… irritated. Not because he's annoying, it's only a part of it. But because of his closeness to Ryoma. Since he became Ryoma's manager, the two had grown close to each other. Of course, Kevin is Ryoma's best friend, but stealing her attention from him, his sister complex will not agree!

"Who cares?" Kevin exclaimed after a few minutes of thinking what to counter, and obviously, he couldn't think anymore.

Ryoga smirked at the blonde's impatience, "You're just a copycat."

That hit Kevin's patience, well; he doesn't have patience anyway, but, whatever. "Am not! You are! _Fuji-kun_ gave that pet name to Ryoma!" he exclaimed making the people around the table, even Ryoga, freeze, and making a certain Echizen Ryoma's ears perk up. He hastily slapped his mouth and looked at Ryoma who is staring at him, head tilted, and with questioning eyes.

"_Fuji-kun?_ Who is he?" she innocently asked.


	4. Chapter 3: Reminiscing, the 'Date'

**Chapter 3 - Reminiscing, the 'Date' and Fuji-kun, again?**

"Fuji-kun? Who is he?" she innocently asked.

"Fu-fu-fu-Fuji-kun? Did I say something like that?" Kevin asked, somehow in a guilty tone. Ryoma slowly nodded and leaned on the table with her elbow. Kevin averted his eyes to anywhere and anything but her. His eyes stopped at the direction of Ryoga who is slighty slapping his forehead. He mentally called for help but Ryoga just frowned and closed his eyes for a second then opened it again, mentally saying a _'No, not yet'_. He shot a glance on Ryoma who is staring back at him with a _bored_ but expecting golden orbs. He almost jumped. The young girl is staring at him with _the same_ bored eyes. He looked at Ryoga and motioned him to look at her too, which he did. Ryoga's eyes widened for a fraction of a second and he smiled to himself.

"Well?" Ryoma asked, breaking their thoughts. Kevin's panic rose up again. And Ryoga, who thinks he's in fault of pissing Kevin off and saying the magic word, took over.

Ryoga laughed boisterously, making all the people around the table think that he's finally gone nuts after years of being a responsible older brother that is full of patience. Aww, the pain of life, "Hahahaha! Chibisuke! It's not who is he... It's where is it! Kev and I here are fighting over where your next tournament will be held. And he said that the ideal place is somewhere near the Fuji Mountain, for a cool view." He shrugged nonchalantly. "You must be hearing things. You're still sleepy, I might say!" he added, fake-sweeping the indiscernible tears at the corner of his eyes while patting the younger girl's head, and at the same time, trying to conceal the embarrassment he's experiencing.

"Oh, okay," she muttered, not really buying what he said, for she is sure that she heard them right. Kevin silently eyed Ryoga, mentally mouthing a _'T__hank you'_. Ryoga just rolled his eyes.

"Neh, Chibisuke," he started, earning the attention of the younger Echizen, "Wanna go out today?"

"Where?" Ryoma asked.

"Anywhere. Just hanging out. I missed you, ya know? I just want to have a quality time with you. Now, do you want?"

Ryoma smiled at him, she missed him as well, "Sure!"

Kevin stared at the two, "Can I join as–?"

"No," Ryoga interrupted before even Kevin could finish his question. Kevin glared at him while Ryoma chuckled.

"Of course, Kev," Ryoma said with a smile. Ryoga stared weirdly at her while Kevin pulled out his tongue. Ryoga rolled his eyes, "Saa, I'll just take a bath. Wait for me here, Chibisuke," Ryoga said as he stood up and left the table with a muttered, _'Excuse me' _and a special, _'You know what to do'_ for Kevin that made him gulp. Of course he knows what does that mean.

**xXx**

Ryoga moaned as the cold water hit his back and flowed down the shower floor. He ruffled his hair and looked up, letting the water splash on his face, slightly drowning him. He started to recall the face expression Ryoma made during their breakfast.

'_Chibisuke...that bored expression... that same expression...'_ he smiled slightly, _'You're starting to return to your old self, even if you're unaware of it...'_ he looked down, his smile became sad and forced, _'But still, if that didn't happen...' _

* * *

_Ryoga is walking with contentment towards their house in SanFran. He just got his first salary with his job and is wondering what he should do with the money. Since he is raised, he doesn't have to save money to feed himself. No, that would be stupid._

'_What shall I do to this then?' he thought. 'Shall I give all of it to Okaasan?' deep thinking, 'No. She'll just say, "It's yours Ryoga. Do what you want with it"... To Oyaji? Don't even think of thinking that, you idiot Ryoga!... To Chibisuke? She doesn't know how to handle money, yet... Throw it on the ground? Hah... Give it to all of people that I might see on my way home? Hah! Who am I, __Mansa Musa__? To hold-uppers? It'll take a century,' as he was having a mental ponder on whom will he give that damned money, he passed a certain shop which caught his eye, not because it's colorful but because he saw something... __something__ that made him grin like an idiot. A __**dress**__. Yes, a dress. __No, he's not a gay, homo or something. He just knows a certain __someone's__ fashion... and he wants to __**revise**__ it._

_He opened the door with a __'kling'__. As he entered, he was met by weird stares of the other customers. Who wouldn't? If you saw a man inside an __all-ladies store__? But of course, considering that he's absorbed by own idiocy, he didn't notice. As he gave his order and waited, and almost fell asleep, his phone rang. He doesn't know if he should be happy that he didn't fall asleep because his phone rang, or he should be mad because he hadn't taken a nap for even a minute. He rummaged around in his pocket and pulled out his scarlet-colored cell phone. __**Unknown number**__. He raised an eyebrow, wondering._

"_Hello, may I know who's in the line?" he answered respectfully, running his head is the statement, __**'**must be a chick'__ or something between the line._

"_Ryoga~" the person on the other line purred seductively that made Ryoga cringe. He knew that voice too well. Too well that he could distinguish that voice within a dozen of chatting people… or even __hundred__. Too well that he could plot homicidal thoughts just by hearing it._

"_Jennifer," he muttered, obviously not happy to receive a call from his _ex-girlfriend_ that he dumped years ago for she was being so money-oriented. Yes, Ryoga __dumped__ the Jenni-girl. Who said that the Echizens are __**gentlemen**__?_

"_Oh, not the Japanese __Jeni-yan__ you used to call me back then?" she asked, amusement obvious in her voice. Ryoga took two deep breaths. For the sake of the cell phone. He doesn't want it to be dragged in the heating verbal fight._

"_What do you want?" Ryoga asked, clearly infuriated. He could feel the lady on the other line smirked._

"_So cold, so cold... Anyway, I just called to invite you to my 20th birthday party tonight. I'll send you the venue. That's all. Goodbye, Ryoga. See you tonight. And bring a date… __**if**__ you have,"_

_Ryoga gritted his teeth, clearly wanting the head of that girl. If before, people inside the shop gave him weird stares, now, no one wanted to look at him, for he is emitting a dangerous aura._

_He exited the shop, not after scaring the cashier out of her wits. He continued wandering aimlessly, calming himself down after the previous phone call. Then his eyes wandered on the __paper bag__ he is holding. He stopped, raised the bag on eye level, stared at it for a moment, contemplating on thoughts, and then he __**smiled**__. Not the simple smile that will take just a few stretch of lips, his is contorted into a __**creepy**__ smile, smile that made people around him back off and feel shivers running down their spines._

_**xXx**_

"_Please!" Ryoga begged, kneeling on the ground and beseeching at Ryoma who is sipping her Ponta calmly, not even bothering to spare him a glance._

"_Why do I have to go with you? I thought you have many girlfriends to go with you on a date," Ryoma replied, vaguely smiling at the taste of her beloved Ponta._

"_Because... Because...! Ugh... Wait... I have no girlfriend! Please! It's an ignominy when I come without a date. Please!" he pleaded again, not giving up._

"_Then that'll be good," Ryoma replied nonchalantly._

"_Chibisuke! Please! I'll do whatever you want!"_

"_Ya-..." her lips contorted to an __**awfully**__ evil smirk, "For how long?"_

_Ryoga gulped. This meant bad thing. But he had no choice, "Arghh! Fine, for a month!"_

_**xXx**_

"_Neh, Chibisuke... Wanna play first before coming to the party? We can arrive there late, ya know?" Ryoga asked. Ryoma stared at him weirdly._

"_If you hadn't noticed, Aniki, I'm wearing a dress. How do you think I can play tennis?"_

_Ryoga rolled his eyes, "Play doesn't always mean tennis... We can meander for a while. In the park."_

_Ryoma shrugged, "Fine, it will not be my fault if we came late."_

_At the siblings' trip to the park, they happened to watch few matches and eat ice cream, the event that Ryoga __**once**__ thought will be the __**last.**_

_**xXx**_

"_Woah... So big," Ryoma praised. They have arrived at the five-star hotel venue. Ryoga chuckled._

"_Blame your ignorance, Chibisuke," he said mockingly as Ryoma snorted. "Come, let's go inside."_

_As the two entered the hotel, __someone linked __**its**__ arms around Ryoga's free arm and nuzzled itself on Ryoga's neck. Ryoga abruptly stopped, prying the arms and making out who did that stupid thing, who is impossibly his ex- the __**Jenni-girl**__._

"_Ooohh... Harsh, aren't we, Ryoga~" she purred, latching herself to Ryoga once again. Ryoga stepped back, unconsciously holding the younger Echizen's arm, who, in fact, is watching the whole exchange with her eyes swimming in amusement and her lips creating a playful smirk._

'If Aniki did tell me that this is what we're looking forward in here, then I would have gladly accepted his offer.'

_The girl finally noticed Ryoma as he held on to her arms. And her seductive smile turned into frown, "If you have your date, then you must've told me," she said with a faking pout._

"_Ugh... Yeah... We haven't done introductions yet," Ryoga said as he regained composure. He looked at Ryoma who shrugged her shoulders, "This is... Ugh... She is Jennifer, my ex-girlfriend," he started, gesturing at Jennifer as Ryoma nodded. "And she is... She's... Ryoma... __**Kurama Ryoma**__, my date."_

_The girl raised an eyebrow at her, while Ryoma nodded slightly, "Ugh... I didn't know you like...well, __**little ladies.**__"_

_The younger sibling raised an eyebrow while Ryoga countered, "She's eighteen, ya know?" _

_"Ugh... Okay... And I never thought that you'll exchange me with a __**Japanese**__," she stated, eyeing Ryoma up and down._

_ Ryoga smirked. _"_Shouldn't I have? Japanese ladies, for me, are perfect. They're not bratty, they're lady like, well-composed and matured, unlike some girls," Ryoga stated, __'_Am I, by any chance, kidding myself?'

_The girl stood, dumbfounded, as the two started entering the venue, with Ryoga muttering, "Anyway, thanks for your invitation."_

_**xXx**_

"_Kurama Ryoma, eh? What a name!" Ryoma jokingly stated as she flopped down the chair, tilting her head back. Ryoga chuckled, "Don't reclaim much, I knew you enjoyed that scene."_

_It's Ryoma's time to chuckle, "Yeah, yeah, I admit."_

_Ryoga kneeled in front of her like a real gentleman, raised his hand to take Ryoma's and mouthed, "May I have this dance?"_

_Ryoma nearly burst out laughing, but held herself for they are at public place, instead, she placed her hand on top of his and stood up, "Being gentleman does not suit you, Aniki!"_

_**xXx**_

"_Hahahahaha! You suck at dancing, Chibisuke!" Ryoga teased quietly, too quiet that they are the only ones who can hear. Ryoma snorted and rolled her eyes._

"_I thought 'going to party' and 'being your date' is only 'going to party' and 'being your date'," she replied and (un) intentionally stomped at Ryoga's foot, which made the lad yelp. He and Ryoma burst out laughing afterwards._

_From afar, blue delicate orbs watched every move they did, from the hand, to the feet, their childish laughter that though almost inaudible, didn't escape her sensitive ears._

'That Ryoma Kurama whore! I made Ryoga come to make him jealous! Arghhh! Wait... What if... What if he only does this to make me jealous? Heh... What a sweet little kitten you are, Ryoga~' the _**blue-eyed white dragon**__ (wat), or as we all know, the Jenni-girl, thought. She smirked, and left his partner in daze and made her way through the sibling. She latched onto Ryoga, but the lad ignored her and continued to dance, leaving her dumbfounded and Ryoma amused._

_She gritted her teeth and thought of a plan, which she came up of after a short while. She smirked evilly and left the ball to go to their mansion's control room. Her eyes glinted as she noticed that the room is currently empty._

'Great... Now, now, my little Ryoma... You're too unlucky 'cause you choose what's mine to be yours... I cannot let someone to be with **MY** Ryoga... No one else... No one, but me can have him... But since he likes you back...'

_She pushed the button that held their chandeliers..._

_**xXx**_

_The two teenagers made a serious effort of trying to calm themselves down after laughing too much. Ryoma looked up at stared in her brother's eyes, "Aniki, I enjoyed this day. Thank you very much," she said and gave her brother __a _dazzling_ smile, a smile that no one can see everyday, a smile that gives all the emotions in them without any regrets, a smile that is wholeheartedly given, a smile that can make people easily forget that the giver is a tomboy, a smile that is originally __**Echizen Ryoma's**__._

_Ryoga seemed to have taken the smile seriously as he racked his brain with when did his brat smiled like that. He had taken it seriously, though; he did not notice the running crowd around them. But Ryoma did. She froze; then looked up and saw a falling chandelier right above them, seemingly in slow motion. _'What the-?'

_Shaking her head for her thoughts to go away, she then proceeded to fill them again with _'how?how?how?' _but couldn't think of any way she can do, and measuring her amount of time left, which is absolutely _nothing_, she did what she thought is the best thing she can do in their situation... She pushed Ryoga as hard as she can and __**almost**__ smiled in victory when he stumbled not too far, but not too near away from her. She will if there is no chandelier hunting for her life. She closed her eyes and felt the impact of her petite body slammed on the floor and the faint shout of her name. She smirked for knowing the source of the voice. And there was...__**nothing**__._

_**xXx**_

_Ryoga felt his body collide with the wall. He almost cursed. But, seeing what the hell is happening before his eyes, he froze. After comprehending the whole situation, his eyes widened, and he shouted, __**"RYOMA!"**_

* * *

'_Ryoma,'_ a tear dropped from Ryoga's eyes and flowed down his cheeks before mixing with the shower water. Then two more, and then the bathroom flooded with his tears mixed with water. He fought back the urge to let out a sob, for it is _not _manly, and it is _stupid_ for a guy like him to sob. Or so he thought. More tears flowed down his cheeks as he silently and gently banged his head on the wall, alternately hitting the cold tiles, _'I'm so stupid! If I only didn't force her to come, if I only didn't take Jeni's bait... If I only...'_

He turned off the shower and stared at the peach-colored tile in daze, water droplets flowing from the tip of his hair. It is always his routine _every day_: of him taking a bath and reminiscing the past, of him silently crying and hushing himself. He once thought that the bathroom acts as his _private room._ He doesn't want to remember the past anymore, but he doesn't want to forget it either. He remembered completely what happened. From the store, to his pleading, the stroll at the park, the party and the hospital after that. He can even remember when his little sister dumped her Ponta on him for he was being annoying. He chuckled lifelessly. He also remembered her smile, the smile that once he thought will be the last smile that'll crept in her face. He remembered _every single thing_...

* * *

_Ryoma was taken in the hospital after that. Ryoga did blame all of it to himself, which worried the Echizen couple for he might do something dangerous to himself, so they always let someone accompany him. And that someone is no other than Kevin Smith himself. Even though Kevin irritates him, he didn't bother to complain. What for? And how could he? He was suffering from depression that time. Ryoma was confined in ICU for a week before declaring that Ryoma was in coma. The Echizens were somehow relieved after that. After a month, the nurse frantically ran towards them yelling, 'She stirred! She stirred!'_

_They waited anxiously, Ryoga the most, until the princess fluttered her golden orbs open. As she did, she abruptly sat up, wincing at the sudden headache. Ryoga jumped to hug her in ecstasy, only to have her shook and gently push him before mouthing, __**"Who are you?"**_

_Ryoga just stared at her, dumbfounded._

* * *

Ryoga averted his eyes from the tile to the ceiling, eyeing it as if he's memorizing every detail of it, _'I think part of me died when she said that. I still remember the confusion in her eyes as she stared at me... And I ne...'_

"Ryoga," a stern but somehow girly voice broke his thoughts and made him cast a glance at the door. It didn't take a rocket genius to recognize that, "Kevin."

"You're staying there too long, don't kill yourself, 'kay?" he said, worry evident on his voice. Even though they are considered _rivals_, Kevin still worries about him… _a bit_.

Ryoga knew that he was worried, but he also knew that Kevin went there for another reason, "What do you want to say?"

Kevin chuckled. He really can read him, "Why? Why didn't you tell her the truth?"

"Idiot," Kevin grunted at this, "You were the one who doesn't want to tell her."

Kevin stared at the door as if it were Ryoga, "W-what-?"

"Admit it. You still _aren't _ready," Ryoga stated as he walked outside the bathroom in a calm demeanor, "And… We don't have to tell her."

Kevin looked at him, confused, "What? I thought that we're going to help her? What kind of brother are you, Ryoga? Letting her suffer like that!"

Ryoga looked at him sternly as he stepped backwards. He isn't the usual happy-go-lucky Ryoga that he knows, "We can help her by doing _nothing_, Kev. Besides, bringing her in Japan is the least we could do. Think, what do you think will happen when we tell her who she was? What do you think will she do? She'll feel _more_ empty, Kev! She'll feel the difference! She'll… She'll… We'll let her figure all of that out by herself. She already succeed, remember, her expression earlier?" Kevin nodded. "She can do that, _step by step_… She can."

Kevin knew not to argue, for the Ryoga in front of him is serious.

**xXx**

The trio walked at the park. Ryoma bounced happily as she saw how big the amusement park in Japan is. She rarely went out in America to enjoy for she's always busy with her tournaments. The two smiled, just seeing her this happy made them glad.

They rode many rides and tried different games. They ate as though there will be no tomorrow.

Ryoga flopped down the bench, followed by Kevin, and Ryoma just landed on Ryoga's lap for there is no more space left. People stared at them, mostly at the siblings. Running inside their heads were, _'pedophilia'_ and _'love triangle'._

"Aniki, can I go to vending machines? I'm thirsty," Ryoma said and looked up to see Ryoga resting his head on the bench. He grunted in approval and nudged Kevin as a signal to accompany her for he was so damn tired. _Aging problems…_

As the two left, a shadow hovered over him and curious as he is, he peeked. Who he saw made him gasp.

"Didn't expect you to be here, ahn~"

**xXx**

"Ryo, can you slow down?" Kevin whined and tried to catch up the pace, since he is lagging, but failed. He hadn't guessed that he was _that_ tired.

"I'm sorry Kev, but I'm really thirsty," she said, turning her head in Kevin's direction. _Wrong move._

As soon as she did that, she bumped onto someone. Thinking that she'll fall and there is no _Ryoga_ to catch her, she closed her eyes. She didn't feel the impact of the ground colliding with her so she opened them. Golden eyes stared into cerulean ones.

'_What an unusual eye color… Is that even a color? It seems like a translucent blue… They're beautiful… But, why do I feel that it's eating me up? I can't even move my eyes away…how mesmerizing…'_

'_Golden… what a familiar color… but still unusual… These eyes, they're too familiar… the shape… and the color… Still, I'm mesmerized by it… It seems that these eyes are magnets that won't let your eyes away when you look at it… They're… beautiful…'_

"Fuji-kun?" Unfortunately, their moment was cut by that sudden… _screech_, which obviously belong to Kevin. The blue-eyed man- Fuji Syuusuke- let the maiden on her feet and stared at the blonde in front of him. He looks awfully familiar…

_'Ahh, the Goodwill Tournament,'_ he thought.

"Kevin Smith-san, I'm glad you still remember me. Hisashiburi," he greeted with a polite bow and his usual smile in face.


	5. Chapter 4: The 'Talk'

**Chapter 4 - The 'Talk'**

Today is Sunday. The day when there are no schools and works. The day when people go out and enjoy the day. The day that people declares as their holiday, especially for a certain tensai.

Yes, today is Sunday, but for the said tensai, today is _Fuji Sunday_. The day when there is no school, which means no tennis practice, which means no _Tezuka _and Inui, which means no laps and no _Aozu._

Of course, he loves tennis, but _not_ tennis practice. Of course, Tezuka is the captain, but that _doesn't_ mean he likes Tezuka. Of course, he is a tensai, but that doesn't mean that tensais _like_ school.

So here he is, enjoying a stroll in the park, momentarily thinking that the world is _his_. He smiled softly, the day will go as he wished, the day will go better than the other _Fuji_ Sundays, and he could see it.

So imagine his surprise when _something_ bumped into him. Due to his reflexes, he caught whatever it is. He opened his eyes to glare at it for daring to destroy his _Fuji_ Sunday. But what he saw made his glare soften.

Cerulean stared to Golden.

_'Golden... what a familiar color... but still unusual... these eyes, they're too familiar... the shape... and the color... still, I'm mesmerized by it... it seems that these eyes are magnets that won't let your eyes away when you look at it... They're... beautiful...'_

"Fuji-kun?" he was pulled out of his reverie by the screech that _originally_ belongs to Kevin. He let the girl on her feet, silently _pouting_. He enjoyed that... the girl being in _his_ arms... not to mention _a cute_ girl too.

He turned his gaze at the interruption, trying to place a name on his face, for he is _awfully_ familiar. Then it struck him.

_'Ah, the Goodwill Tournament.'_

He bowed and released a smile once again, "Kevin Smith-san, I'm glad you still remember me. Hisashiburi."

Kevin stammered, not knowing what to say next. Ryoma stared at Kevin, then at Fuji, then back at Kevin. Then it struck her.

_'That's why the name Fuji-kun sounds familiar.'_

**xXx**

"Didn't expect you to be here, ahn~" the voice in front of Ryoga spoke, earning his attention and making him gasp. He stood up abruptly, smiling his usual happy-go-lucky smile.

"It's been two years since I saw you. How are you now? Chibisuke sure will be glad to see you," he said, dragging the man to where he thought his sister went.

"Oh? That brat missed me? Incredible!"

**xXx**

"So you're Fuji-kun? I can't believe Kevin had friends here in Japan," Ryoma started. "I'm Echizen Ryoma, nice to meet you."

"Fuji Syuusuke, nice to meet you too," Fuji muttered, slightly wondering why the name _'Echizen Ryoma'_ seems awfully familiar.

"Fuji... Syuusuke..." Ryoma muttered, frowning for she is sure that she heard the name _before_. She dismissed it and faced Kevin, "So he's the Fuji-kun you're talking about. You don't have to lie to me, you know."

Kevin flushed in embarrassment, "N-no... Ugh... I mean, how did you know?" Ryoma just smiled at him, "You're just plain obvious. You and Aniki."

Kevin pouted. Fuji stared at the exchange, still thinking about the name _'Echizen Ryoma'_. _'I'm sure I've heard the name before, but why can't I remember this girl's face when the name is so familiar.'_

Ryoma gave Fuji a slight glance, eyeing him as if she had met him somewhere and just forgot about him. She frowned. _'He really is familiar. The name and face. Have we met before? But he seems to not know me. But still...'_

"Fuji-san..." Ryoma started as she looked at him, gaining his attention. "Have we met before?"

Kevin shot her a look_. 'She remembers?'_

Fuji opened his mouth to speak. He was going to ask the same question if she didn't ask. "I-"

"Yo, brat," a voice from somewhere spoke, gaining the attention of the talking trio.

The three turned their heads to the source and saw Ryoga together with a man. Ryoma smiled; acknowledging the presence of her elder brother, "Aniki."

She looked at his companion and with her eyes widened, she latched herself onto him, forgetting the fact that she's still having a conversation with Fuji. The two almost stumbled on the ground, but due to the man's athletic reflexes, they didn't, for he secured a firm grip around her waist.

"I missed you!"

**xXx**

Meanwhile, a certain tensai's mind has crumbled. First, he bumped into a girl. Then, he figured that she's with Smith-san, a former acquaintance. Next, she said that she's _Echizen Ryoma_, which is an awfully familiar name to him. Then, she had the hint that she knows him from somewhere, the same as him. And now, there is another batch of unknown people ruining his Fuji Sunday. He looked at them yet again, and then he blinked. _'Wait... isn't that...?'_

"Ryoga-san?" he voiced out, enough for the said person to hear him.

**xXx**

"I missed you!" Ryoma said at the man. Said man smirked and tightened his hold around her. "How have you been, Keigo? It's been so long since I last saw you!"

"Ha ha, brat... I should have known that you'll miss Ore-sama's dazzling prowess... I-" he was cut off by the sudden drop of temperature. He inwardly shivered as he looked past Ryoma's shoulders and towards the _bloodhound_ Kevin and Ryoga with bloodshot eyes that bore holes in his head. He _almost_ fainted! "I... umm... C-can you p-please get off, E-echi... I mean... Ryo... err... brat?"

**xXx**

"Ryoga-san?" Ryoga's bloodhound glare was cut off at the voice. He turned his head at the source and blinked. "Fuji-kun?"

The man- or rather, Keigo's- attention was lifted by the moment Ryoga said the name. He looked at the closed-eyed brunet. "Fuji?"

Fuji looked at the caller and was surprised that it was the one and only Atobe Keigo. He _hadn't_ noticed that it was him before! "Atobe."

He stared at Atobe for a moment then at the girl then at Kevin and Ryoga who are also looking back at him. Then something struck him.

_'W-wait... Didn't the girl called him 'Aniki'? But... Ryoga-san doesn't have any sister. He has only one sibling, and that is Echizen... Echizen Ryo-...'_ he froze at the thought. Now that he had put two and two together, it will not take a minute to create a conclusion, for he was _the_ Fuji Syuusuke, and he is a tensai. _'Echizen Ryoma... is a girl.'_

"E...!" before he could even speak, he was interrupted.

_Poor, poor, Fuji_.

"You know him too, Aniki?" Ryoma asked, the three men froze, especially Ryoga. He forgot that she was there. He was dumbfounded. He doesn't know what to say. He broke a sweat as he looked at Ryoma's expectant eyes. "Aa... Actually, you know him too. He's a senpai from your former school, Seigaku."

Ryoga closed his eyes, hoping to every God that his dear little sister will not give a super _duper_ violent reaction. Ryoma looked at Fuji for a moment. "Oh."

Ryoga sweat dropped as Kevin twitched_. 'I thought he'll let her know them on her own'_

Ryoga cleared his throat. "I think Fuji-kun and I need to have a little chat to catch up for a while," he smiled. "Nah, Fuji-kun? Keigo-kun?"

Fuji nodded as Keigo smirked. He got the idea. "Aa... Very well then, I shall continue to tour Ryoma-chan around."

As the three were out of the sight, Fuji opened his cerulean eyes and gazed at Ryoga. "We really need to catch up about many things, don't you think, Ryoga-san?"

Ryoga smiled; but nodded nevertheless.

**xXx**

_'Fuji Syuusuke... Fuji Syuusuke... a senpai, eh? But... I seemed to remember him, but not totally... Fuji Syuusuke... Fuji Syuusuke...'_Ryoma stopped mid-step and grunted as she held her head. One glaring contest was interrupted at the sudden halt. The two immediately ran back to her.

"Are you okay, Ryo?" Kevin asked as he shook Ryoma. The girl merely nodded.

"Wanna go home, brat?" Atobe asked. The girl shook her head and looked at them, chuckling slightly at their worried expressions.

"I'm fine, let's go to the tennis courts! I want to see the tennis courts here!" she chirped. The two sighed; but agreed rather reluctantly.

**xXx**

Ryoga dragged Fuji in one of the coffee shops he used to stop at nearby to have their little _'talk'_.

"So Echizen is a girl?" it was a statement, rather a question.

Ryoga paused halfway from sipping his coffee and nodded. "Yep."

Fuji twitched at the answer. He had been expecting a reasonable answer plus reasonable reason but… oh well. He took a sip from his coffee and stared at Ryoga, his eyes opened. "Why?"

"Why what?" Ryoga replied as he took another sip. Fuji sighed; his hands twitched in the need to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"Why did she cross-dress as a freshman in Seigaku?" he asked yet again, hoping to get a _decent_ answer from the Demigod.

Ryoga almost spat his coffee. He scratched his cheek with an index finger and smiled secretly. "Actually…"

* * *

_Ryoga twirled the auburn ball on top of his thumb. He is bored. There's nothing to do. His okaasan is busy packing their things for their flight going to Japan next week. His Oyaji too is busy finding a house there. Nana-chan is cooking, Karupin is sleeping. And chibisuke-_

_The front door opened, revealing his little sister in her school uniform._

_'Speak of the devil.'_

_Ryoma grunted as she slipped her school shoes out of her feet. It has been a long day. Fangirls and fanboys alike don't know the meaning of 'Leave me alone!' with matching big exclamation points and angry glare. She silently cursed, promising that anyone that'll mess with her again will be buried six feet under. No one shall mess with her again (insert maniacal laugh here)._

_"Hey, chibisuke…"_

_Or there is. She glared at him as he continued grinning, not intimidated by her not-so-effective glare. "What?"_

_"Let's play," Ryoga said. Ryoma raised an eyebrow._

_"What?" she asked once again. _

_It's Ryoga's time to twitch, "Let's play!"_

_Ryoma took her time to eye her elder brother. It doesn't seem that he's planning any harm, so she agreed. Ryoga took the ball that he was holding and passed it to Ryoma who shifted her attention to it. "Basketball?"_

_The older nodded. She glared at the ball; they're tennis players for tennis' sake! "I don't play basketball."_

_"But that doesn't mean you don't know how to play. Besides, it's the only time that we'll play sport other than tennis, so don't reclaim much!" Ryoga said as he dragged her to the nearest basketball court. Ryoma reflected with this before sighing._

_'Why does Aniki have to be correct at this?'_

_Ryoga cleared his throat. "Okay. Here are the mechanics. The one who can shoot 10 balls will win. If we get in a 10-10 tiebreak, we'll repeat another set and so on and so forth," he explained, Ryoma nodded as she positioned in a service stance._

* * *

_It is now 10-9, Ryoga leads. Ryoma will take her last shot. As she positioned…_

_"Wait, chibisuke!" Ryoga's voice echoed in the court. Ryoma winced and glared at him. Ryoga, as usual, ignored it. "We'll make a bet! The one who'll lose will follow a single command from the winner! Get it?"_

_Ryoma didn't really hear him; she only got 'bet', 'winner', and 'command', "Whatever you say!"_

_She jumped, as she neared on her peak, she moved her left fingers to push the ball, with her right hand as support. Concentrate… she needed to concentrate…_

_"Meow," she hadn't seen that coming. She looked at her right and saw her Himalayan cat crossing his way towards her. Forget the ball! Karupin is more important!_

_She picked the Himalayan up; worried that it might be hit by the ball. Then she looked at the ball, which hit the board. She sighed; then shivered. She looked at her back too see Ryoga grinning deviously. 'It can't be good!'_

_"So what's your command, Mr. I-am-the-winner-and you're-the-loser?" she asked, rolling her eyes at the instant. Ryoga twitched, but ignored her like he always does, and pretended to think._

_"Hm… Okay… You'll dress as a boy and register as a boy in your new school in Japan, get it?" Ryoga said. _

_The younger blinked, "Okay."_

* * *

_At the day before they go to Japan…_

_"Nanako," Ryoma started. Nanako blinked as she looked at Ryoma. It is rare that Ryoma needs something from her (except of course her food). She smiled as an urge to her to continue. Ryoma walked towards her, handing her a pair of scissors. Nanako stared at the thing, then at Ryoma. "Please cut my hair, guy style."_

_Nanako would've exclaimed, "WHAT?" if she's Nanjiroh… or Rinko. But she only smiled and calmly asked, "Why?"_

_Ryoma grunted, "A bet with Aniki."_

_And so she did without another question. Sure, she knows that the Echizen-couple will freak out if they found this out. But if she didn't, Ryoma will go to a parlor anyway. What will be the difference? Besides, it can be a practice with her course- which is hairdressing._

* * *

Fuji sweat dropped. He, again, expected a more reasonable reason in this term. But a bet? Who would've expected that? "But why didn't she tell us?"

Ryoga thought of that for a moment. Why didn't she tell them, anyway?

**xXx**

Ryoma- clad in a tennis shirt, tennis shorts, tennis shoes and her signature white cap-– stood in the middle of the court. Her previous dress was _'thrown'_ away, courtesy of Atobe Keigo, saying that if one should play tennis, one must wear tennis clothes and not dress or anything in that matter. So they shopped. Her hair, which was previously down, was in a braid, courtesy of Kevin, saying that she'll look cuter with that, but contradicted by Atobe and putting them in a high ponytail, saying that _'cute'_ is not accepted in the vocabulary of tennis… so they settled it in a braided ponytail. She sighed, and positioned in the server's box.

"One set match, Echizen versus Atobe, Echizen to serve!"

**xXx**

_Why didn't she tell them, anyway?_

Ryoga pondered at that for a moment; then staring at Fuji, he asked, "Have you asked her?"

Fuji shook his head. Why should they ask her if they don't have a clue? Ryoga slammed his balled fist on his free palm, "So that's why!"

"Hah?" Fuji's jaw dropped. Echizens are weird! His tensai abilities don't work. They're so unpredictable!

"You didn't ask her, of course, why would she tell you? It's not even a secret! Ryuuzaki even knows it!" Ryoga exclaimed.

"Ehh?" that's it? What the hell?

"Actually, Fuji-kun…" Ryoga started, gaining Fuji's attention once more. "I am wondering… aren't you going to ask why she didn't remember you?"

Fuji's eyes opened, that's what he wanted to ask. He just forgot. It's even the main reason of why he wanted to have this talk to Ryoga. "That's what I really wanted to ask."

Ryoga's expression changed from the happy-go-lucky one to an emotion of… sadness? Hurt? Or both? "She suffered from amnesia. I can tell you how… but I don't want to talk about it now. I'm not yet ready to tell this to other person. I just want to ask a favor… Since you're the first to know about it, I want you to help her to recover… it's just… I don't want to see her suffer anymore… it's because… I trust Seigaku…"

Fuji couldn't believe this. _'Amnesia?'_

He hadn't expected that to happen to their pillar. Heck, he hadn't expected that Echizen Ryoma is a girl, either. But, one thing made him smile.

'_It's because… I trust Seigaku…'_

And one thing he is sure of. _'I will not let Ryoga-san down…'_


	6. Chapter 5: First Day

**A/N: **general babble for an A/N below (xD)

thanks for all who read, reviewed, fave-ed and alert-ed this story! I'm glad you appreciate it!!

*if you have seen some scenes at other FemRyos, forgive me, I didn't mean to steal their ideas... My originality is just... well... not original...

**Disclaimer:** if a disclaimer is equivalent to a peso and is given to a charity, maybe my fellow Filipinos won't be starving... anyways, no...

**Chapter 5 – First Day**

Minutes stilled in silence with the two of them: Fuji mentally smiling and Ryoga calming himself down and trying hard not to break down. _Yes_, because he is Ryoga and it is _not_ manly.

Fuji blinked as he noticed the silence and realized that he should reply back. He smiled; though it is not visible because of his usual smiling facade. "We'll help her... Ryoga-san..."

Ryoga's head shot up, he smiled and tilted his head in a Ryoma-like manner. "Thank you..."

Silence reigned again over the two, a comfortable silence at that. Both were having a deep thought. Fuji reminisces about the start of his Fuji Sunday while Ryoga on what Fuji had said.

Fuji smiled at what happened earlier. It did not occur to him that Echizen is in Japan, nor Echizen is a girl. It did not even occur to him that this will be how his Fuji Sunday will go. All of what had happened flashed in his mind.

_'Wait...'_

A part of memory bothered him.

"Ryoga-san," he called, earning the attention of the elder Echizen. Ryoga looked at him, curious as why would Fuji suddenly call. "What about Atobe?"

"Huh?" Ryoga raised an eyebrow, but after some while, he got the question. His features soften a bit at that. "Oh, Keigo-kun and his family helped Ryoma in her case two years ago. I was surprised though, because not only he volunteered to help her case, but also said that he'll help with Ryoma's recovery. I was nothing but grateful at that, when Keigo-kun volunteered," he paused and thought for a moment before a smile crept in his face. "When I asked him why, he just laughed and said, _"I wanted to see those smirks again"_..."

Fuji felt a completely foreign feeling hit his chest. His smile slightly faltered. He didn't know why though, but his face tightened and he just felt the _want _to punch Atobe square in his face.

Unbeknownst to him, Ryoga noticed. _'Interesting'_

"Do you know, Fuji-kun?" Ryoga asked suggestively. Fuji blinked in wonder. "Ryoma... she's so happy when Keigo-kun entered the picture. She finally had someone to talk to. I am glad with it. The two had gotten closer ever since. I wonder why though..." he paused and put a hand beneath his chin in a thinking manner, giving a slight glance at the dumbstruck Fuji and successfully hiding a knowing smirk. "..._Usually,_ I would feel the urge to pull them apart, but for Keigo-kun, I felt nothing. Maybe, this is where **everything** starts. Ahhh... the power of destiny," he sighed dreamily like a romance-obsessed fangirl.

Fuji's eyes snapped open, revealing a cold pair of cerulean eyes. He glared at the table for no reason. He doesn't know why, but it suddenly made him mad... or perhaps _jealous?_

Ryoga wanted to laugh out loud at the expression Fuji is making. He mentally shrugged. It's Fuji's fault to let his guard down and show some _trivial_ emotions. He just took advantage of the situation.

What he said is not a lie, but not the truth either. He just made and revised some of it. He had wanted to draw a conclusion on his observation and hypothesis of Fuji's expression earlier. So he needed to test his hypothesis using an _experiment._

Neat and simple as that.

His experiment was just a bit underhand though, but who says Ryoga _cares_?

**xXx**

"G-g-game and match, Echizen! 7 games to 6!"

Ryoma panted heavily as she kneeled on the ground. Her head is throbbing in pain and instead of the clay ground her eyes are staring at; it was the occasionally blurred pictures that were flashing in front of her eyes she is seeing, which only adds to her headache.

_'W-what is this?'_ she wanted to scream in pain as pictures of tennis court, falling post, capped guy and even Keigo flash in her mind. Her body became limp and unconscious due to tiredness, but her mind is still active. _'M-my head hurts!'_

She slowly and carefully stood up, staggering all the way. Then she tilted her cap, glaring and pointing her racket at Atobe, all the while releasing a tired triumphant smirk. "Mada mada dane,_ Monkey King_"

_'W-what? D-did I just say that to... to Keigo? A-am I even the one who said that? B-but...'_

Her thoughts blacked, and she only felt herself falling forwards and heard two familiar voices calling her name.

**xXx**

Atobe stood, absorbing that he, indeed, _lost_. He feels his consciousness slipping away from him, just like what happened three years ago at the Nationals.

_'Yeah, Nationals,'_ part of his conscious mind, thought. He dreaded it, the Nationals. When he lost to the brat. When he had shaved his _gorgeous_ hair. _'Come to think of it, our match today seems like a rewind version of that of Nationals, with slight changes'_

Atobe froze._ 'Rewind?'_

He focused his now widened eyes at the kneeling form of the prodigy at the opposite side of the court as he reflected at their match. _'I-indeed it is. The score, the tiebreak, and even the Muga no Kyouchi. B-but what does that mean? A-and how? Is she...?'_

"Mada mada dane, Monkey King," his blood had ran out cold at what the lass said, but he shoved the thoughts away and rushed to her direction as she started to fall forward, Kevin on his tow.

_"Ryoma!" _

**xXx**

"Thank you, Fuji-kun," Ryoga smiled as the two of them exited the coffee shop. Fuji smiled back.

"It's my pleasure, Ryoga-san. Trust us; we'll do our best to help her recover"

"Well then, I have to go. Maybe those two idiots are _corrupting _my innocent little Chibi!" he bowed. "I might have said this a million times, but I'm really grateful. Thank you very much"

Fuji bowed back. "You're always welcome, Ryoga-san"

The two parted ways after bidding each other their goodbyes. Fuji headed home, greeted his Mother and Sister, trudged his way on his bedroom and lay on his bed.

_Yes._ This is the **best** Fuji Sunday ever.

**xXx**

"Echizen Ryoma. Yoroshiku"

"Smith Kevin. Yoroshiku"

The class broke into whispers, chattering about one of the new students and a certain _'Prince'_. Ryoma frowned. She can hear it. And she **hated** it.

She hated it when she's the one they're talking about; yet, she doesn't even know what they're talking about. She hated the way people would talk about her and the _'Prince of Tennis'_.

She had long known that. Whenever she introduces herself, they would stare at her and whisper to each other about the _'Prince of Tennis this'_ and _'Prince of Tennis that'_. She doesn't even know who the Prince of Tennis is!

She hated the way people would talk about it as if she isn't there. Do they think she's _invisible_? They didn't even respect her presence. She hated it when no one understands that she _doesn't_ want to be compared, especially to those who she doesn't know. She hated it when no one would even think about what she would feel. She hated it when...

"Ryo..." Kevin whispered as he put a hand on her shoulder as a reassurance. She looked at him with her eyebrows furrowed and her lips bitten.

No, there **are** people who understand her. There are ones who **knew **what she feels.

She nodded.

**xXx**

"Fujiko!!" Kikumaru annoyingly called. Fuji tore his gaze from outside the window to look at him. He chuckled at the cute picture Kikumaru is making. "You're spacing out!"

"So am I. Gomen," he smiled apologetically as Kikumaru bounced to glomp him. _'I wonder what would be their reactions when they learn that Echizen is indeed a girl'_

"Apology accepted!" Kikumaru chirped, tightening his hold around Fuji and pressing his cheek on his. "Neh, neh, Fujiko. How about you make it up to me by eating lunch together?"

"Sure, sure." Fuji laughed. "Rooftop?"

Kikumaru ecstatically nodded as he led (dragged) Fuji to the rooftop.

**xXx**

"You okay, Chibisuke? You know, fainting and all?"

Ryoma chuckled at her elder brother's worried tone. She reset her phone headset on her ear to hear Ryoga's voice clearly. "Perfectly fine, Aniki. Don't worry, I have Kevin here anyways," she said as she bit the onigiri being shoved in her mouth, courtesy of Kevin.

"That's the problem! Kevin is there! He might... corrupt you or... something!" Ryoga whined.

Ryoma raised an eyebrow, stared at her handset, at Kevin, and back to her handset. _"Corrupt?"_

Kevin grunted. "Oi, Ryoga! Whatever you mean?!" he shouted, perfectly knowing that Ryoga would hear. He shoved an onigiri in his mouth; then looked away, crossing his arms with a muffled huff.

Ryoga ignored the familiar outburst, as well as Ryoma's question. He clasped his phone tightly. "Just take care 'kay? If you need help, just find Fuji-kun, he's a senpai, after all"

"I will," she replied, letting a smile creep in her face. But... _'Why Fuji-kun? Who is he that Aniki trusts him that deeply?'_

**xXx**

"Say _'ahh'_," Kikumaru practically sang as he placed a piece of beef clasped in a chopstick in front of Fuji's mouth. Fuji complied and smiled at his best friend's childish antics.

_'I wonder what Echizen is doing. Ryoga-san told me that she'll start school today. I promised to help her, but, where should I start?'_

"So, why were you spacing out?" Kikumaru asked while chewing his food. Fuji blinked as his thoughts were interrupted and looked at his bestfriend.

_"Hi~mit~su"_

"Mou~ Fujiko!!" Kikumaru pouted and clung to Fuji's arm, convincing the latter to give in. "No fair!"

"Hai, hai. But you must not tell this to anyone, ha?" he chuckled as the red-haired guy eagerly nodded. Of course, he knew that when he tells his secret to Eiji, the news will spread like a wildfire in a matter of minutes. And he knew that he can't lie to him. Eiji would sense that, they're _not_ bestfriends for nothing. And of course, Fuji knows all of that; he's a tensai after all_. 'But he I didn't tell him, he would probably bug the hell out of me... but still, I can't afford to tell them yet, their expressions are more worth it. Gomen, Eiji_'

"Well?" Kikumaru pushed. Fuji hummed. "Is it a _'what is it?'_, or _'who is it?'_?"

Fuji laughed. "I was just thinking..." he let the thought hanging.

Kikumaru pouted in confusion. "Of what?"

"A plan... for _someone_ I know. They asked me _something_, and I am thinking of a plan to comply." Fuji started, "But that'll affect _some_ people, the plan, I mean. And maybe, when they knew, that will cause _ruckus_, and I have to think of another plan for it to not happen. So now, I have to go, and think of them." Fuji finished, his voice melodic and following a beat, as if hypnotizing Kikumaru. He winked at him as he stood up and made his way out of the rooftop, leaving his best friend.

Kikumaru blinked, realizing that Fuji just left. And he just _let_ him leave... didn't he? He shrugged, already used to that scheme of Fuji.

He absorbed what Fuji had said. Then his eyes narrowed. Fuji said a lot... but he told him... _nothing_ (1).

"Argh! Fuji!"

**xXx**

Ryoma pulled the headset out of her ear and flipped her phone shut, her last thoughts still invading her mind. Kevin cleared his throat, breaking her out of her frenzy.

She stared as Kevin moved from across her to sit by her side, leaning against a trunk of the Sakura tree.

The two remained quiet, staring at the falling Sakura petals before them and occasionally picking pieces of rice balls to eat.

"Are you... _really_ okay?" Kevin broke the silence between them. Ryoma spared a glance at him; but remained silent.

"Of course, I don't feel dizzy anymore," she replied after a while.

Kevin frowned at her reply. "That's not what I mean"

"It's not?" by now, Ryoma is staring at him.

"Un..." he nodded. "It's about earlier"

Ryoma frowned and looked away. She knew better than to lie. "It hurt"

"I know... that's why I'm asking you"

Ryoma placed her head on Kevin's shoulder. "It still hurts"

Kevin, not knowing how to respond at her honest reply, patted her head. "Lunch time is almost over"

Ryoma chuckled at his logicality (or she thought it is) and stood up, dusting her skirt and picking her bentou, Kevin followed suit.

The two walked, going back to their classroom, Kevin guiltily cursing himself as he did nothing to comfort her.

**xXx**

Fuji walked towards the locker room. Classes are over, but tennis practice _isn't_. He just wished that _every day_ is a Fuji Sunday, so he could sit back, relax, and enjoy. Like _yesterday_...

Fuji blinked as he pulled on a shirt. _'Oh yeah... I completely forgot about my plan,'_ he paused midway. _'If I showed her places that she often goes to, will it trigger her forgotten memory? That's how it works in soap operas I've watched.'_ he chuckled lightly; then proceeded in putting on his shirt. _'Look at me, a tensai sticking with a theory'_

**xXx**

Afternoon practice went by, and one Tezuka Kunimitsu _wasn't_ really pleased with the result of it.

**First,** Momoshiro and Kaidoh fought, but, when he thought about it, _'It really isn't counted. It usually happens'_

**Second,** Arai picked on a random passerby, who isn't a club member, and picked the tennis courts as his _crime scene_, which resulted to Tezuka being called by the Headmaster.

**Third,** since Tezuka is nowhere to be found, Inui chose the _moment _to shove his precious Juice down the freshmen's throat.

**Fourth,** Oishi fretted.

**Fifth **and the **top** reason, Fuji's sadistic affinities were turned _on_, and he raised the laps by _five_ times than normal since Oishi is fretting and he **volunteered **being the _vice-vice-captain_ of the day, which resulted to the third reason of why the result of the afternoon practice did not please Tezuka.

He sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose, preventing the opposing headache to... well... _oppose_. _'By the looks of it... Fuji is up to something, and I will not be pleased by whatever it is' _

1- line ruthlessly stolen from the novel, 'Simple Genius'... credits~~

**A/N: **umm... sorry? er... I think I felt the need to make it up to you guys, when usually I don't... Maybe I just love you, guys *flits eyebrows* :))... xDxD (ahem... sorry, i tend to be hyper after drinking water... lol) Besides, I also feel bothered when I am unable to update my stories... Gomen, gomen for the late update, and I also hope that this chapter may satisfy you...

I just have two questions:

**1) **Will you agree if I put a Yaoi pairing here? I have one in my mind, but since I'm not a Yaoi writer, it will only be a trial..

**2) **What do you think will trigger Ryoma's forgotten memories?

**R&R **as always!! Enjoy!!

**ideas**, anyone?

**review replies: **

edenforest: stay tuned! i think the next chapter would be their 'meeting'... thanks for reviewing!

lovelyanimeangel: and thanks for reviewing! here's the next chapter!

herbblood: i'm glad you see it as it is... thanks for the review!

denizen of the night: yep, he is cool... he's the one who 'begged' Ryoma to go the party and he was the one Ryoma saved, so maybe it's normal.. :)) thanks for your review!

Viven: here's the update! thanks for the review!

Kage Hasu: your awaited wish will soon come true... lol... stay tuned! thanks for the review!!


	7. Chapter 6: Meeting

*please do beware of timeskips

*some of the lines in the chapter are quoted from 'Elegy of Hope' (read it; it's awesome)... credits``

*if you have seen some scenes at other FemRyos, forgive me, I didn't mean to steal their ideas... My originality is just... well... not original...

**Disclaimer:** if a disclaimer is equivalent to a peso and is given to a charity, maybe my fellow Filipinos won't be starving...

* * *

**Chapter 6 - Meeting**

You'll join the tennis club?" Ryoma asked as she and Kevin walked towards the tennis courts. She already knows that he'll join, but hey! It wouldn't be that bad to double-check.

"Yes," Kevin nodded. "Are you?"

Ryoma kept silent for a moment, seemingly in thought. "Is it mixed?"

"As far as I know, not"

"Oh," Ryoma blinked. "I guess I would not"

Kevin snapped a look at her. "Why?"

"Seigaku has no girls' tennis team," she shrugged as she pulled the door of the courts open, dragging Kevin by the arm towards the registration corner.

"Then what club are you going to join?" Kevin asked, letting the petite girl drag him.

"Dunno," she started. "Maybe music... or photography"

"Is that so... Oh! We're here." Kevin announced, walking towards the lone being at the registration corner. "Uhm... anou, senpai... Are registrations open today?"

The lone person looked up from his book and smiled, his chestnut hair framing his effeminate face, "Of course." His naturally closed eyes opened and his signature smile impossibly turned in a cheeky grin. "Smith-san! Echizen! You're joining the tennis club?"

The two jumped slightly at the unexpected outburst. Kevin blinked, and blinked again. "Fuji-san/Fuji-kun?" he questioned along with his girl companion.

Fuji chuckled behind his hand. "Gomen about that. Are you two joining?"

"Yeah." Kevin started; but paused as Ryoma nudged him. "Well... me, at least..."

Fuji frowned. "How's that?" He looked at Ryoma with a questioning gaze. "You're not joining?"

Ryoma jumped a bit as the same cerulean eyes stare at her. Whatever she does, she can't help but let herself be drawn in those eyes.

_'W-what is this? I can't pull myself away!'_

A clearing of throat made Fuji blink; and Ryoma finally pulled away as she looked at Kevin, who gave her a confused stare as if asking, _'what the hell happened to you?'_ Nonetheless, he gave Fuji a shrug and a slight glance that says, _'Are you an idiot?'_

"Seigaku has no girls' tennis team"

Fuji cocked his head to the side, finally realizing that, indeed, Seigaku does not have a girls' tennis team. He chuckled dryly. _'I still think that Echizen is a guy'_

"Ha ha... I'm sorry, that must've slipped out of my mind," Fuji said, closing his eyes once more as he got a pen and a piece of paper and handed them to Kevin. "Please fill this out, Smith-san"

Kevin nodded as he started his business, leaving Ryoma in Fuji's care as he fills the paper out.

"So, Echizen," Fuji started, gaining the lass' attention. "What club are you planning to join?"

Ryoma sighed. "I don't know yet. I'm still choosing between music and photography"

"Oh... but you can join more than one club"

"Really?" her mood seemed to light up; but immediately returned to its gloomy mode. "I still can't. My schedule wouldn't take it"

"Sou ka," Fuji smiled. "Then you should choose what you think you like the most..." _'But I would really prefer if Echizen will join the Photography Club *mental chuckle*'_

"Right," Ryoma looked at him. "Fuji-san?"

"It's senpai. I'm two years older than you," Fuji blurted; then slightly winced as he realized that that came out so naturally. He looked at the girl who merely blinked at his previous statement. She didn't seem to mind though.

"Oh, sorry... Fuji-senpai?" she started once again then took a deep breath at Fuji's nod. "How well do you know me?"

Fuji was taken aback by the question. _'How well do I know her, eh?'_ He kept silent for a moment as he chose the words he will say. His smile faltered a bit and turned to a bitter one.

_"We're a family, Echizen"_

She opened her mouth to speak; but Kevin had interrupted her.

"I'm finished, Fuji-senpai." Kevin said; but paused as he noticed the slightly different aura on them. "Am I interrupting something?"

Fuji turned at him, smiling as always. "No worries. You're interrupting nothing. You can come back tomorrow for your orientation," he glanced at Ryoma. "You can drag Echizen too, since it's a shame that Seigaku has no tennis club"

'_I'm sorry, Echizen. But I'm not allowed to explain everything'_

**xXx**

_"I wouldn't care at what would you do to help her," Ryoga paused, clutching his mobile phone tightly, a habit he had developed when he is serious. "But…"_

_"But?" Fuji pushed. Silence engulfed the two. Fuji looked at his handset's screen, making sure that Ryoga is still with him. He heard Ryoga took a sharp breath._

_"But… Please… don't tell her who she is. Let her know it by herself. I wouldn't want her to know who she was just because you told her that. I wouldn't want her to believe in what just people say; but in what she knows," Ryoga explained._

_Fuji smiled. "I promise I won't"_

**xXx**

"We're going now, Fuji-senpai," Kevin waved, his other hand possessively wrapped around the tennis prodigy's wrist. Ryoma opened her mouth, still planning to demand an explanation; but decided against it. Instead, she forced a smile. "See you, Fuji-senpai"

Kevin noticed the frown adorning his companion's face as they walk. When he thought about it, he realized that she had it since her conversation with Fuji. His eyes narrowed. _'What did Fuji do?'_

"Neh," he nudged her. "What did he tell you?"

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Hah?"

"Your conversation." Kevin rolled his eyes. "What did Fuji tell you?"

_We're a family, Echizen…_

Her eyes widened a bit; bit she hid it as she closed them and forced a smile yet again.

"It's nothing"

**xXx**

"Rin-chaan, aren't we having an American breakfast?" Kevin whined, tapping his rice bowl on the breakfast table. "Since…"

"Oi, boya. Forgot you respect somewhere? Stop tapping that bowl or it may break," Nanjiroh replied, shoving a grilled fish in his mouth.

"…Just because I'm no Echizen, you're not cooking a breakfast for me. Urgh! But…"

"I'm not an Echizen, too, Kevin-kun. And please refrain from tapping that bowl. That's expensive," Nanako said as she gets two bottles of milk from the fridge and settled them in front of sleepy and unresponsive Ryoma. "Here, Ryoma-chan"

"…and just because Ryoga is here, you started to serve Japanese breakfasts…"

"Hey! How am I dragged in there?! Oi, don't tap the spoon on the table! It's irritating!!"

"…so that… That! And here I thought Rin-chan is a fan of American food, why did we…"

"Boya, it's 'obaasan' for you, and…"

"…stop that already, Kevin-kun! You might break that…"

"…bowl. Kevin… Kevin, put that bowl down! Oi, not that mug!! Chibisuke gave that to me last…"

"…week. I told him to call me that last week, so no worries, Anata. And Kevin-kun…"

"Rin-chaaaaaan!!! When are we going to have an American breakfff…?"

"STOP. BASHING. THE TABBLLLEEE!!!" three hands slapped the blonde's lone hand, each of them glaring at him. He gulped.

"A…ahaha…ha," Kevin forcefully (and fearfully) laughed as he turned to his one and only savior. "Ryooomaaa!! Help meee!!!"

Ryoma blinked, and blinked, and blinked again; then she cocked her head to the side.

"E-ehh?"

And that's how the Echizen Family's morning episode went.

**xXx**

"Here, Syuusuke," Yumiko announced as she placed a bowl of rice in front of Fuji.

"Thanks, neesan." Fuji smiled at her. He put his palms together to say his grace, along with his elder sister. "Itadakimasu"

Silence engulfed the two as they started eating; not until Yumiko broke it. "Neh, Syuusuke…." She started, and continued as her younger brother stared at her. "You're _blooming_"

If Fuji isn't a calm and composed young lad, he would've choked. Instead, he just chuckled. "I'm a male, neesan"

The elder Fuji chuckled; but ignored his statement. "Did something happen that change your mood? Did you meet someone?"

Fuji isn't surprised if Yumiko already knows before him. He doesn't know how she does that; but he knows that she's always accurate, so, nothing to be surprised for. "Yes," with that, he stood up, with a muttered, "excuse me," to get his tennis bag and headed towards the door. He looked at his sister and smiled. "Ittekimasu"

"Syuusuke," he paused from walking to look at his sister. "Whatever you intend to plan, keep in mind that it will succeed no matter what. Keep safe"

With a brighter mood, Fuji walked towards Seigaku.

_Whatever you intend to plan, keep in mind that it will succeed no matter what_

_'Thanks, neesan'_

**xXx**

Fuji spotted Tezuka talking on his phone as he entered the clubroom. Bringing phones in the clubroom is prohibited, so he guessed that the phone call is important.

"Good morning, Tezuka," he greeted, putting his usual smile in his face. Tezuka nodded in acknowledgement. Fuji looked at the handset, silently inquiring him what was that about.

"Ah… Inui called. He told me that he is not able to attend school for at most a week because he's going out of town. The school administration is already informed. The rest are classified between his family," Tezuka explained. "Fuji, do you know someone who can be a substitute manager for a week?"

Fuji's eyes glinted as he stared at Tezuka. A certain green-haired beauty popped in his head as his smile widened. "Of course, I do"

Tezuka isn't sure if he should regret asking Fuji his previous question. The way the tensai's eye's glinted is like a happy devil having succeeded to break a poor angel's wings. He mentally sighed. _'I hope I did the right thing'_

**xXx**

"Kwaii!! Echizen-chan! Do you know what _Smith-kun_ likes in a girl? What is his fave color…" Ryoma tuned her classmate out as the other person kept asking her about Kevin. Seriously! Even the renewed sweet and innocent Echizen Ryoma could get pissed!

"Sigh… Look at this, Echizen," the girl, which we can hide under the name, Kevin Smith's-fangirl-classmate-in-disguise, laid out a brochure on Ryoma's table, pointing at a specific garment. "Do you think _Kevin-sama_ would like the color pink? Or yellow, is it? He seems to like the innocent-looking girls." She flailed her arms and made dramatic poses to emphasize her point. Ryoma sighed as she pulled out her pocket watch; still fifteen minutes before the next class starts. She looked at the seat beside her to see no traces of Kevin. She sighed again.

_'Where is Kevin when you need him?'_

She is overly tempted to say, _"You know, I really can't see what you're pointing there. You know what I'm seeing right now? A certain capped greenette who took a hobby of visiting me in my dreams as if he's a dream fairy in disguise of a tennis player. And can you lower your voice? You add up to my migraine,"_ she just doesn't have the heart to say that. How's that, you may ask?

An image of a braided brunette flashed in her mind.

_'Yep, she corrupted me'_

**xXx**

"Okay. Classes are over. Don't forget to do your homework!'

"Hai!"

Loud chattering erupted around the classroom as the teacher left, along with the scraping of chairs being pulled, and books being packed. Voices of student cleaners echoed in the whole room, demanding those who are not to leave the room.

It suddenly became quiet, as if the time had stopped.

"Echizen," an angelic voice broke through the silence as they walked towards the still-oblivious Echizen Ryoma. Said girl blinked; then turned to see a smiling Fuji.

"Konnichiwa, Fuji-senpai. Do you need something?" she respectfully asked, head tilted slightly in curiosity. _'His __smile is a bit different today'_

"There is," Fuji said, eyeing the whole classroom. "But it's a bit private. Can we talk outside?"

Ryoma nodded, slinging her bag on her shoulder. She looked at Kevin's seat, which is still empty, and carried his bookbag as she followed Fuji out of the classroom.

Silence still reigned over the classroom as their eyes followed the two persons' back.

After a moment, someone spoke.

"Do you think they'll make a cute couple?"

**xXx**

"What is it that you need to tell me, senpai?" Ryoma asked, sipping her grape Ponta Fuji bought for her. _'I'm surprised that he knows my favorite soda, with the exact flavor at that'_

"The tennis club needs a manager, and I'm hoping that you're available. Just for a week, until our manager comes back," Fuji explained. He needs not to beat around the bush with this important proposal.

Ryoma raised an eyebrow. "Why me?"

Fuji's smile widened. "I told you, it's a shame that Seigaku has no girls' tennis team."

Ryoma frowned at that. "I don't believe you. Besides, I think my schedule wouldn't take it since beside the club, I also have weekly tournaments for…"

"Please, Echizen." Ryoma looked at him, only to see his gleaming cerulean orbs staring back at her. Her mouth parted a bit, as if hypnotized. She could feel his eyes screaming, _'Pity me! Pity me!'_ at her. She had a hard time pulling away; but when she did, she stared at him disbelievingly. _'Does that mean too much for him?'_

Fuji closed his eyes, mentally smirking as his scripted act seemed to be in a success. "Well?"

Ryoma bit her lip. "Fine"

Fuji almost jumped to glomp the girl in happiness; but refrained to do so. He just grinned and pulled her by the wrist towards the tennis courts. "Thank you, Echizen!"

**xXx**

The atmosphere was heavy. No one knows how to react. Even Tezuka, with his mouth slightly parted, was shocked. There was just a girl who introduced herself as Echizen Ryoma.

No way, _right?_

First, Echizen is never a girl. Second, if she really is Echizen Ryoma, how come she doesn't know about the Regulars? Tezuka looked at Fuji, who didn't look shocked at all. Fuji is the one who brought her there, anyways.

'_Is she really the Echizen Ryoma we had known?'_

When he looked closely at the girl, there really are similarities between her and Echizen Ryoma. But to think that it is foolish to have the same name under the same family, then…

_'She is Echizen. Many things prove that she and Echizen is the same person. I would like to talk to Fuji about it later.'_

"Hah!" someone screeched. The seven regulars turned to Kikumaru, who bounced towards Ryoma to glomp her. "Waai! It's been too long since we last saw each other! Ochibi-chan had grown much!" he pinched the stunned girl's cheek. "You never told us that you're a girl, after all. And it's a shame though…" he buried his face on the younger girl's tresses; and whispered, "You never remembered all of us"

**xXx**

Fuji chuckled, "Smith-san must be pissed by now. He accused me of stealing you and said that he never had a moment with you. See you tomorrow!"

Ryoma turned to look at her smiling senpai; nothing but determined expression drawn in her face.

_We're a family, Echizen…_

If before, she just let things go, now, she can't afford to do it. Since the afternoon practice, things started to bug her.

_You never told us that you're a girl, after all…_

That Kikumaru, he is the one who appeared in one of her dreams, together with the Momoshiro.

_You never remembered all of us…_

She **needs** to know what's going on.

"Who really are you, Fuji-senpai?" she asked, staring at Fuji's closed eyes. _'Why doesn't he open his eyes now?! I need the truth!'_

"You'll know it… sooner or later," Fuji's smile was wiped off of his face as he turned to enter the locker room. "Tomorrow, then…"

"I demand an explanation!" Ryoma yelled; but Fuji had already entered the locker room. Ryoma bit her lips and walked away as she wiped her eyes.

_'Why are they so indifferent about it?'_

**xXx**

Fuji only noticed a blob of red as he entered before being roughly pushed against a wall. He looked at Kikumaru's watery blue eyes. Evident of forcing his tears back.

Kikumaru's hands trembled as they clutched the collar of Fuji's uniform. he bit his lip as he stared at Fuji, eyes glazed partly with confusion; partly with desperation.

"F-Fuji! What happened to Ochibi? Why doesn't Ochibi remember us?!" Kikumaru asked as he clutched Fuji's collar harder, enough to make the effeminate Regular cough. He was torn on what to call the youngest regular. He doesn't know if he should call Ryoma, 'he', or 'she'. _'I hope this is just a stupid prank.' _He blinked as he noticed that Fuji can no longer breathe easily. He gasped as he let go, taking two steps back and looking at Fuji worriedly. "I—I…"

"Calm down, Eiji…" Oishi soothed, patting his doubles' partners back. "Calm down"

Fuji regained his composure and smiled yet again. "I'm okay. Don't worry, Eiji…"

"W-what really happened?" Kikumaru asked in whisper. He looked at Fuji, hopeful that he may have the truth he wanted. Fuji bit his lip, he didn't _actually _think that it would _really_ cause ruckus if he introduced Echizen to them. his head fell down, his bangs covering his closed eyes.

"I can't tell"

"Kikumaru!" Tezuka's voice boomed as he noticed the acrobatic Regular was about to pounce on Fuji for the second time. Kikumaru paused midpose. Tezuka turned to Fuji. "Explain"

Fuji nodded. "Echizen has amnesia"

"What?!" Oishi exclaimed; or he thought he did. The four looked at the shower area, where Momoshiro stood, mouth hanging open. "That girl really is Echizen?!"

The four gave him a long look. Fuji nodded, frowning. "Yeah. I met her two weeks ago, or less, together with Smith-san and Ryoga-san…"

"Ryoga-san?" Kikumaru cut him off. "Ochibi's brother?"

Fuji nodded again. "He told me that Echizen suffered from amnesia because of an incident two years ago…"

"What incident?" Momoshiro asked out of curiosity.

Fuji shook his head. "Ryoga-san didn't tell me; saying that he's not yet ready. He asked my help, as well as the whole Seigaku Regulars, to help her recovery. And I…" he looked at his teammates present, "… am hoping for your help, minna"

The four nodded; walking towards him, smiling, each of them placing a hand on his shoulder.

Tezuka's lips formed a faint smile. "Yudan…"

"…sezu ni ikou," they all finished.

* * *

**A/N: **yeah... sorry.. *bows* projects and stupiiiid semi-finals!!

What club should Ryoma join?

-i had already decided; but i want to know what the majority wanted.. xD

-as always, thank you for reading, reviewing, fave-ing and alert-ing this crap..

-i dunno if i can update in summer (April-June).. my mom is contemplating if she should ban me from computer, books and cellphone (after un-banning me last January) because of my vision is starting to blur and rounds of headaches start to attack me. another reason is, i'm planning on getting a summer job...

**R&R!!**


	8. Chapter 7: Unexpected Guests

**A/N: **I **updated! **Teehee. XDD I missed you, guys! But I'm not sure if I can update faster... I'm in my Senior Year and, yeah... BUSY. Anyway, sit back, relax, and please do enjoy.. :))

-**OOCNESS~!**

**-**as usual, please do beware of timeskips..

* * *

**Chapter 7 – Unexpected Guests**

_Ryoma slowly opened her eyes, welcoming a pitch black before her. She blinked repeatedly and her eyes widened as she looked around, and finding nothing in sight. She struggled to stand up, her heart thumping loudly against her chest as an indescribable fear overcame her, suffocating her breathing. She waved a hand in front of her face, groping on empty air._

_She froze._

_She can feel _nothing.

_Chest tightening in fear, she visibly panicked. She ran around aimlessly, her head spinning on random directions to at least make out anything. Suddenly, she tripped, without any idea that she did so- _how _she did so._

_Still sprawled on the ground on her stomach, with her head buried in the confines of her arms, she quietly sobbed_. 'W-what's going on...?'

_She raised her head slightly, silently hoping that whatever is going on will soon stop. She blinked as her eyes caught a glowing figure, with its white glow contrasting against the dark. She squinted her eyes to make out the figure._

_She then suddenly jumped on her feet, her mouth hanging open._

_It's the capped guy._

_The _'dream fairy in disguise of a tennis player' _that she was pertaining to._

_Her feet unconsciously moved by itself as it took few steps towards the guy, who has his back facing her. Realizing that now is the time to ease her childish curiosity, she had decided._

_It's now or never._

_"W-who are you?" she croaked, blinking as she wondered if she really did voice that out loud, or if she just did in her thoughts. She cleared her throat. "Who are you?"_

_The capped figure dramatically turned around, staring blankly at her._

_Ryoma wondered if the figure could talk._

_She was about to ask again when the capped figure smirked heartily, as if mocking her on something. Ryoma blinked at the smirk; then her eyes darted on the capped figure's golden orbs that seemingly match with her own. _'Those eyes...'

_She can see the cockiness on those eyes that seemingly dare her to do something, as if doing that something will have an important benefit on her part. _'What does that mean?'

_Ryoma took a step forward and held her hand out, wanting to touch the capped figure, as if a part of her memory will be revealed by touching the figure._

_She frowned at the irrationality of her thought._

_But unbeknownst to her, her eyes twinkled._

Memory.

_She let her hand drop on her side and frowned once more as she realized a thing._

_The capped greenette seems to be always distant. _

_Is he mocking her?_

_"Who are you, really?" she asked, not expecting the figure to actually answer. The capped figure's smirk turned into a cheeky grin, his golden orbs flashing with life. _

_"I am... you." _

**xXx **

Ryoma woke up with a start. She looked at her alarm clock. Fifteen minutes past five. She had awakened up two hours earlier than usual.

She recalled the fragments of her dream, the one that gave her a strange wake up call. Somehow, her dream looked like...

_'I can't remember...' _

But one thing she is sure of, the capped greenette is included in her dream.

He _always_ is.

**xXx **

"Today's your last day of being their manager, right?" Ryoga inquired, settling some things at the back of his car. Ryoma sank further against the wall in front of their house, nodding lifelessly.

Ryoga looked at his sister, worry etched in his face. "Are you feeling fine? You look paler than usual."

Ryoma rubbed her eyes, stretching her arms over her head. "Hai," she responded with a yawn, entering the car and leaning against her seat on the front. "Inui-senpai came back yesterday to train with his teammates," she gave a non-committal shrug.

"Souka," Ryoga hopped on the driver's seat and started the engine. He twitched at Ryoma's sprawled form and leaned to fasten her seatbelt. "How have you been coping up with them, anyway?"

Ryoma winced at her elder brother's question and looked on her lap as Ryoga pulled away and stepped on the gas pedal. She merely fiddled with the lens of her camera as she answered, "Fine..."

Ryoga raised an eyebrow at her unusual reaction as he pulled over a highway, but had no intentions of further questioning. He knows that something is off. He's sure of it. He took a left turn, secretly glancing at the petite woman.

Ryoma, on the other hand, kept fiddling with the lens of her camera in hand. She rotated the zoom of the camera continuously, still uncomfortable of Ryoga's question. Hey! She can't just blurt out that she has been acting _cold _towards the whole Seigaku Regulars for the past days, can she?

**xXx **

"Good luck on your tournament, Tezuka-kun..." Ryoga wished as Tezuka welcomed him at the entrance of the Tennis Garden. He chuckled quietly when Tezuka bowed before shaking hands with him.

"Aa… Arigatou, Echizen-san," Tezuka muttered, hand grasping Ryoga's as they shook hands. "We practiced hard for this match."

"Kyaah! Ochibi!" Kikumaru squealed and ran towards the emerald-haired lass, posing to pounce on her but stopped as she glared at him before brushing past him rather coldly. Kikumaru sighed as he looked at the girl, who was now submitting their registration form, longingly.

Ryoga's eyes flickered and his grin faltered at the exchange. Tezuka cleared hisa throat as he, too, saw the exchange, sending Kikumaru jumping and clinging against Oishi in fear. The bespectacled captain turned to face Ryoga once more, bowing slightly.

"I apologize for my teammate's rudeness and lack of privacy respect," Tezuka said in a sternly monotonous voice. Ryoga blinked blankly in response, before grinning sheepishly and scratching the back of his head.

"It's okay, Tezuka-kun. I understand that it's a habit of him. Anyway, I need to go now. Kaasan is expecting me to be home by this time," Ryoga said, shaking hands with Tezuka once more.

"Don't let your guard down, Echizen-san."

Ryoga slid inside his car and started driving absentmindedly, his thoughts drifting back on the earlier exchange. He frowned.

When has Ryoma been that cold?

**xXx**

Ryoma subconsciously sidestepped as she continued snapping on her camera, eye unblinking against the lens. She raised the camera slightly as Kikumaru unleashed one of his signature shot, snapping a perfect picture.

She had registered on the Photography Club last Tuesday, with the Club Admins placing her on the Tennis Club Department, saying that she's closer to the said club than anybody else in the Photography Club is.

Ryoma mentally rolled her eyes at that.

Silly. She doesn't even know the Tennis Club members, nor did she know the Regulars—the exact reason why she's being cold to them, they're feeling close to her. Besides, Fuji Syuusuke is in the Tennis Club, yet, they still gave the task to her.

She secretly glanced at the tensai, who was currently talking with the captain.

Maybe she should be glad that Fuji was placed in the Interior Design Department.

**xXx**

Ryoma yawned tiredly as she walked towards the vending machines. Seigaku had won the two Doubles and the Officials had decided to have an hour and a half lunch break before proceeding to Singles matches.

Her eyes twinkled.

_'One more match! One more match!'_

She pressed the button for grape Ponta and bent down to retrieve the can.

She tensed.

She straightened up and turned around; sure enough, there was a pair of crystalline cerulean eyes meeting her gaze. She tried to look away and nodded politely. "Fuji-senpai."

Fuji smiled and closed his eyes, tilting his head on one side. "Echizen, have lunch with us."

Ryoma merely blinked before brushing past him, popping her carbonated soda open. "No, thanks."

Fuji swiftly turned around, hands on his back, and followed the rookie with light skip on his steps. "Demo saa…" he trailed off in a playful tone. " It is nice to have lunch with everyone-"

"I want to eat by myself."

"—plus, we have brought many. We have sushi, riceballs,-"

The freshman gave him an irritated look before she continued on her way. "I have my own lunch."

"Souka…" Fuji tipped a finger on his chin. "But Ryoga-san called me just so say that you had forgotten your lunch."

Talk about persistent.

Ryoma's eye twitched and her lips rested on the lid of the can as she paused from drinking. Is he trying to corner her? She turned around and faced Fuji, with the latter having his smile widening.

"Senpai…" she trailed off with sarcasm. " Leave me alone."

Thus, she waltzed away, leaving a dumbstruck tensai.

**xXx**

Atobe panted as he ran to the garden part of the Tennis Garden, leaning against a tree for support.

He had enough of it.

Apparently, Gakuto and Shishido were scheming on him _again,_ as Shishido kept imitating him and Gakuto screaming on top of his lungs how Atobe looks like when he's sleeping.

_'That's Ore-sama's secret!'_

Then the fangirls…

Normally, Atobe Keigo would love the attention; but when they had gone out of control… that even his _sacred_ snap won't work…

Atobe shivered before swiping a mirror out of his pocket, looking at his reflection.

_'What the-?'_

His hair was sticking out on random directions—seemingly from his marathon with his fangirls—and his face and lips were dry.

In short, he looked like _crap._

He panicky fumbled with the pocket of his cotton tennis pants to get his miniature hairbrush. He can wash his face later; but his hair…

His _hair_, dammit!

Atobe brushed his hair with greatest effort and smiled in satisfaction as it was back to normal. He grinned as he slid the brush and the mirror back at his pant pocket.

Oh, god it sucks that he hadn't brought his tennis bag with him! He traced the outline of his face with his thumb, frowning as he found it rough and dry. He can't just waltz back in those awaiting hands of Gakuto and his _Shishi-poo_, can he?

'_To the sinks I go-umphh!'_

Um… Atobe Keigo, meet g_rass. Grass, _meet Atobe Keigo.

**xXx**

"Unyah! Where's that Ochibi?" Kikumaru whined while stomping. Apparently, he and Momoshiro were ordered to find their sub-manager-now-team-photographer for the Singles Match were about to start. Normally, they wouldn't _actually_ care— sans Tezuka— if there were no photographer in their matches; but given that, the said photographer was no other than Echizen Ryoma, plus given the fact that Fuji was the one to order them…

There is _nothing _they can do.

Momoshiro looked around from tree to tree. He presumed that Ryoma is currently sleeping under a tree like years ago. He secretly smiled at the memories.

But now, Ryoma has changed. No matter how they try to catch up on her, she still leaves them behind. She's being distant. It's as if she's building a wall around herself that will spare her from the Regulars. Then, she is—wait… isn't that…?

"Eiji-senpai," he tapped his acrobatic senpai on the shoulder and pointed at the grassy part of the garden. "Isn't that Echizen?"

Kikumaru followed Momoshiro's pointing finger and squinted his eyes. He then smiled and nodded. "Yes! That's Ochibi, nya~!" his eyes darted on another figure hovering the freshman. "But who's that?"

"That's Atobe of Hyoutei, no?" Momoshiro asked and Kikumaru nodded as realization dawned on him. The two of them watched as Atobe slowly leaned down.

Then their eyes widened.

"Kyaa! The Monkey King is going to kiss the Sleeping Beauty!" Kikumaru wailed on top of his lungs as he lifted one leg and pulled one shoe, posing to fling it on Atobe; but before he knew it, a tennis ball flew past him and hit Atobe…

_Headshot._

**xXx**

Atobe twitched as his face collided with the dirt. He hadn't noticed that something was on his way before he tripped. He shook his head and stood up with the usual air of dignity around him.

_'Ore-sama did not trip,' _he thought, snarling on the earth beneath him. _'The grass just looked like it needed Ore-sama's warmth.'_

He would've continued his journey to the sinks if his instincts had not told him to look back.

And to look back he did.

Beneath the tree lies the slumbering prodigy of Seigaku, on her back, with her frail figure sprawled upon the grass and with her head tilted on one side, as if she's smothering the grass with kisses. And the warm afternoon sunlight seeping from the gaps of the leaves gave her an ethereal glow that makes her look like an angel.

"Ryoma…" Atobe whispered as he kneeled on the ground before her, gazing at her sleeping figure. Of course he knows about this photography thingy, and that was the main reason of why had he come at the Tennis Garden, despite not having their own team's match.

He leaned down to blow on those bangs that hid almost half of her face, but instead he stumbled backwards as he felt a sharp blow on his forehead.

_'What the hell?'_

**xXx**

_The capped figure panted as he looked up at the silhouette of Tezuka on the other side of the court._

_ Ryoma was standing on the sidelines, watching his part of their game. She wasn't sure if they could see her, as she thought that her current situation is something akin to a flashback._

_ The capped person shifted from its kneeling position and continued staring at the bespectacled captain, lips forming to a small smirk._

_ Tezuka took a step forward._

_ "Echizen, be Seigaku's pillar of support."_

_ Ryoma's eyes widened. _'E-echizen…'

_ And it became pitch black once more. Then the haunting voice of the capped greenette echoed in her head like an endless mantra._

I am you.

**xXx**

_'What the hell?'_

Atobe stood up and pressed his palm on his reddening forehead, glaring at the two Seigaku Regulars a meter or so away from him.

Kikumaru has his hands held up, as Momoshiro was hiding behind him. How could they get away from an angry diva from a mistake they didn't even do?

From afar, clear cerulean orbs glinted mischievously.

**xXx**

_I am you._

Ryoma yelped and sat up abruptly, startling the three tennis players. She blinked repeatedly as they loomed over her; bombarding her with meaningless questions.

She felt her chin being tilted upward before staring at those pools of icy blue before her. "Keigo?"

"Are you okay?" she blinked at the deep voice of Atobe Keigo. She nodded with difficulty, as Atobe was grasping her chin. Atobe's hand slid down to grasp her hand, and he swiftly stood up, pulling her with him rather elegantly.

Kikumaru's eye twitched.

Momoshiro had the sudden urge _and_ desire to hit Atobe over the head.

**xXx**

An auburn-haired lass panted as she collapsed n a wooden bench beside the vending machines. She gulped her water bottle while looking around. She sweat dropped.

She's lost. _Again._

She groaned and pulled her legs on the bench, hugging them against her chest and burying her face in the confines of her arms.

_'I'm dead!'_

"Ryuuzaki-chan?"

**xXx**

Fuji leaned against a tree so hard that the tree almost felt like sucking him up. _Almost._

He was trembling violently in an attempt to suppress his laughter. The look on Atobe's face as he tumbled over the dirt was utterly priceless! In addition, he had mentally cursed as he hadn't brought his camera with him.

Fuji let out a sharp breath and pinched his nose to calm himself down.

Nevertheless, he ended up laughing again.

He paused as Atobe started throwing tantrums at his teammates. Deciding that he has to do his vanishing act, he crouched down and walked at the bushy part of the garden and through the registration area.

He stood up and dusted himself, ruffling his hair to remove the dried leaves that were sticking. He spotted the vending machines and jogged towards it, slipping a coin, and pressing the button for a sports' drink.

He blinked as he heard a groan from somewhere beside him.

Fuji stared at the lone figure sitting on the bench.

Auburn tresses. _Check._

Twin-braids. _Check._

Photography Club jersey. _Check._

Photography Club visor. _Check._

And pink-skinned digital camera sitting beside her. _Check._

The former Tennis Club Photographer.

"Ryuuzaki-chan?"

**xXx**

"Gomenasai! Gomenasai! Gomenasai!" Sakuno bowed repeatedly in front of the bespectacled captain. She should be there _before _the tournament, neither in the middle nor after! Tezuka inwardly sighed as the auburn-haired lass continued bowing and saying her apology.

"It's okay," Tezuka voiced out, immediately shutting the girl up. "Now, do your job and don't let your guard down."

"H-hai!" she gave her one last bow before running off the courts and starting to cover the pictures for the Singles Two.

**xXx**

"Ryoma is coming with Ore-sama," Atobe stated, securing a firm grip around Ryoma's wrist. The freshman winced in discomfort, looking away and tugging on her pale green sun visor with her free hand; only to have Kikumaru snatching it. She rolled her eyes.

"Ochibi _shall_ go with us," Kikumaru stuck his tongue out, tugging on Ryoma's wrist. Momoshiro sweat dropped as he looked at their human toy, who was also sweat dropping.

"No. because she will go with O-re-sa-ma," Atobe trailed off, making a disgusted face when Kikumaru had stuck his tongue out. He doesn't tug on Ryoma's wrist—that was un-Ore-sama-like—but he's gripping her wrist as if it was a tennis racket.

_'It might bruise,'_ Ryoma thought, eyes wandering at her wrist. _'Aniki might fret on it.'_

"She's our team photographer!" Kikumaru pouted, roughly tugging on the freshman's wrist, almost making her stumble, if Atobe had not pulled her back.

"She has a partner," Atobe uttered, smirking triumphantly at Kikumaru's horrified expression.

Ryoma blinked. _'Partner?'_

_"So…um…okay. Echizen will be placed as the official photographer of the Tennis Club," Hanamura Emi, vice-president of Photography Club, stated nervously as her eyes shifted between a blinking Ryoma and a glaring tensai. Apparently, the Fuji Syuusuke had blackmailed her to place the freshman in the Interior Design Department; but she just can't do that. The Club President has this one word code of dignity—she can't remember what it was called—and hadn't approved of her plead._

_ So, yeah._

_ She's trapped._

_ Hanamura gulped before continuing. "O=okay… But Echizen will work with a partner at this task," at this, she snapped her head to the right as some odd blue glint entered her line of vision; but instantly regretted it as she snapped her head back and shivered._

_ Fuji's eyes have some malicious glint on it._

_ "But…" Ryoma's voice relaxed her a little. "Who's my partner?"_

_ Hanamura tried her best to not look at Fuji. "She's still drawing her credits for Theater Photography Department to a close." She forced a smile. "But I'm sure you'd meet her on Saturday's tournament."_

"But… but…!" Kikumru was in the brink of his tears as he couldn't find a counterattack at Atobe's previous statement. He hesitantly let go of the rookie's wrist, lips quivering, and he, instead, turned around in order to fall in those awaiting hands of his Momo-chin.

Atobe's smirk grew wider as he foresaw his sure win. He pulled Ryoma—who was busily watching her sobbing senpai—against his chest. "So it seems that Ryoma is going with me," he flicked a lock of his hair. "Ore-sama no bigi ni yoi na."

Kikumaru wailed and threw his fit by pounding his fist on his current glomp post—Momoshiro. "But—uwah!" Momoshiro tried to dodge the incoming fists flying towards him; but to no avail as Kikumaru started pounding harder.

"Fsshhuu…"

Four heads snapped at the direction of the hiss, only to meet a burning glare from one Kaidoh Kaoru. Kikumaru looked at him, eyes glassy with tears, and his invisible cat ears lie flat on his head—looking _impossibly_ cute.

For some odd reasons, Kaidoh's face turned a little pink and he turned away, slightly coughing.

"Kaidoh-chan! Atobe won't let Ochibi go with us!"

Thus, Kaidoh remembered why he was there. "Echizen, Tezuka-buchou's looking for you! You still have a job to do!" he barked.

Ryoma faced Atobe with an apologetic smile plastered in her face. "Gomen, Keigo. I'll make it up to you, later."

Kikumaru visibly brightened up. "Yay! Ochibi will go with us, nya~!" he squealed, bouncing up and down. "Let's go now!"

_Great game, Ochibi!_

Ryoma turned to look at the three.

_I am you._

And for the first time in the whole week, she had cracked a tiny smile.

"Hai. Let's go, senpai."

**xXx**

"Seigaku wins."

Ryoma stopped listening after that; not if she was talking amicably with Ryuuzaki Sakuno. Or, at least, Sakuno was talking amicably and she's trying to catch whatever she's saying.

"Kyaa! Ryoma-kun! It's been too long since I last saw you!" Sakuno held Ryoma's hands and bounced on her feet. She then pulled her in an ecstatic hug.

"Heh… heheh…" Ryoma chuckled awkwardly as she hugged her back. It has been two years since she last saw—and first met—Ryuuzaki Sakuno.

**xXx**

_Ryoma was playing tennis against a wall as her regular training to get in synch. It was only few weeks after her recovery but she had insisted that she has to get her head back in the game. Her hands were still a bit shaky and her shots were a bit off; but she knows that she'd improve, that she will—_

_ "R-ryoma-kun…" she squeaked at the unfamiliar voice and lost her concentration to the ball, making it slam harder against the wall and hurl towards her. She crouched down in an attempt to dodge and closed one eye as she heard a thud._

_ She stood up and turned around, meeting face-to-face with a braided girl. She nodded slightly in greeting. "Anou, hello, but may I know who you are?"_

_ The braided brunette blushed hotly at her lack of mannerism. "I—I'm Ryuuzaki Sakuno. Y-your former classmate."_

**xXx**

_"Gah!" Sakuno stepped backward, almost bumping on Ryoma, and looked up to face an angry blonde. She shakily reached her hanky from her back pocket and hastily wiped the soda she spilled on the man—only to have her hand slapped away._

_ "Now, you messed my day!" the blonde grabbed a hold of her wrist, making her wince in pain._

_ Ryoma just stared at the exchange with curious eyes._

_ "I—I'm sorry1" Sakuno exclaimed, tears forming at the corner of her eyes. _

_ "You-!" the man raised his free hand and prepared to slap Sakuno; but Ryoma, acting on her reflex, hit the incoming hand with her tennis racket in hand._

_ "Ow!" The man glared at the two, nursing his bruised hand. "You two will get it!" thus, he ran away._

_ Ryoma walked in front of her and asked in pure curiosity. "Why didn't you fight back?"_

_ Sakuno could only twirl her braid in response._

**xXx**

_ Ryoma swung her legs back and fort as she stared at a frantic Sakuno who was rummaging around her suitcase. "I have shirts and shorts; and I haven't worn a skirt as far as I can remember. So why do I have to wear a skirt?"_

_ "You are a _girl, _Ryoma-kun," Sakuno pointed out in a-matter-of-fact tone while pulling out a cream white mini-skirt. _

'Then the reason you call me Ryoma-**kun**,' _Ryoma rolled her eyes. "Okay, fine."_

**xXx**

"I really, really, REALLY missed you!" Sakuno uncharacteristically let out a Tomoka-like squeal as she glomped the petite girl as if there was no tomorrow. "And I'm really glad to be your partner in Photography!"

The Seigaku Regulars could only stare at the exchange in awe. Who could've thought that the _shy _granddaughter of the tennis coach can be this ecstatic? In addition, who could've thought that she knows the real gender of Echizen Ryoma?

Wait… _what?_

_ 'Ryuuzaki knows that Echizen's a girl?'_

**xXx**

"Um… yeah… so… sorry…" Ryoma twirled a lock of her bangs as she started feeling awkward. She gave a shy glance at Atobe, who rolled his eyes and huffed. "Um… the team invited me to celebrate their win and I accepted so…"

"Fine," Atobe sputtered out with sarcasm, as if he actually meant it as opposite.

"I'll make it up to you," Ryoma smiled, putting her hands on top of Atobe's.

"Aa… A date on Saturday," Atobe stated. He tilted his face a little sideways, his cheek facing the freshman. And as if Ryoma got the cue, she stood on her tiptoes and gave him a peck on his cheek.

Surprising one tensai out of his wits.

Kikumaru shivered as he felt a hole being marked at the back of his head. Oh, he perfectly knows who that is. He gulped once, raised his right arm shakily, and waved. "Ochibi! Let's go now, nya~! The sushis are waiting for us!"

Ryoma looked at him and waved back. "Hai, senpai!" she looked at Atobe, smiling. "So, on Saturday, then. Bye bye!"

Thus, she practically ran to join the rest of the team.

**xXx**

Atobe turned around with a satisfied smile adorning his face; but the smile had contorted into a deep frown as he met two of his _subordinates._

Shishido was standing a few feet in front of him, hands on hips, and with a teasing smirk in his face. Gakuto, on the other hand, has his arms wrapped around Shishido's neck, half-leaning on him in an _alluring_ way.

"Ready, Shishi-kyun~?"

* * *

**A/N: **I realized, there's no sign of Kevin in this chapter.. XD

Okayy, I used one of reviewee-san's idea to make her the Tennis Club Photographer.. credits to **shiraishireiya~~ **

And the ending part was so random! Hope you didn't pay heed with it.. :))

**R&R!**


	9. Chapter 8: Preparation

**A/N: **The original plan for this chapter is the date. T^T

but, for the sake of updating! *fist in the air*

Anyway, I'm terribly sorry if my update rate is too slow, I mean, I'm busy for college admission and all. :)

plus, I need the credits. XD

So... yeah. I'm sorry. :))))))))))))

Oh, and thanks for those who read and reviewed. And I'm sorry if I'm not responding to those. :p

Thank you for those who are still with me; and for those who had forgotten 'Forgotten Memories', you're free to throw the Big bouncing inflatable green ball (I don't own that. XD) at me. XD

**OOCness is still present. XD**

**Disclaimer: **I own PoT... not. XD

**Chapter 8 – Preparation**

Silence ensued against them as the sliding door slid open rather rudely, all of them staring unblinkingly to a scowling Kevin Smith.

"Smith-san," Fuji started, shattering the air of awkwardness that had just arisen. Kevin looked at him before looking around the restaurant, seemingly searching for the golden-eyed lass.

The said lass voluntarily raised her hand, as Kevin still hasn't landed his eyes on hers. As expected, Kevin caught her attention, and his scowl got deeper. "Ryoma. Home."

The girl shyly stood up, walking towards him in silence, but she halted as Kikumaru stepped in to block her. "We invited Ochibi-chan to celebrate the team's win, Kevin-kun~!" he pouted, childishly wrapping his arms around Ryoma's shoulder.

Kevin's eye twitched. "But we have to give her lessons to—"

"Why don't you join us? After all, you _are _a part of the Tennis Club," Fuji noted, smiling at Kevin. The latter would've voiced his 'no' out once more, but froze as Fuji's eyes released its hidden beauty.

Kevin automatically shivered, not daring to look at the tensai's deceiving orbs. "Sure," he drawled out with sarcasm, slumping to sit next to Momoshiro.

**xXx**

Everybody was enjoying themselves, Fuji noticed. The usual bickering, teasing, and piling on top of each other just to get their sushi. Ryoma was laughing occasionally as some of the Regulars pull their stunts, all the while enjoying the food offered.

"You enjoying yourself?" Fuji inquired to the green-haired beauty next to him, leaning on his hand as he stared at her.

Ryoma nodded rather vigorously. "Hai, senpai."

"Ne, Echizen…" Fuji trailed off, dragging the vowel out as he stared at the girl who switched her attention to him. "What were you and Atobe talking about?" Fuji's cerulean orbs emerged from view, studying the freshman carefully, and Ryoma felt herself have the difficulty to move her eyes away from him _again._

Ryoma tilted her to one side, finally surrendering to those pools of cerulean. "Keigo asked me on a date on Saturday."

And then there was silence.

All of the people inside Kawamura's sushi restaurant felt shivers running down their spines and they halted whatever they were doing, staring at the tensai and the freshman expectantly, and rather, fearfully.

Balancing a tray in his hands, Kawamura entered the main hall. "I've brought he—" he blinked repeatedly as he noticed the eerie silence. "What's going on?"

Fuji turned his head to glare at him, and he immediately understood that there _is_ something going on, especially after he had seen the girl Fuji was talking with.

"Um, I'll just place it here," he placed the tray on a table and fled; and he's sure he has sensed several pairs of eyes boring holes on his back as he walked out of the scene.

"And you said…?" Fuji trailed off, drawing out every syllable venomously.

As expected, the freshman was oblivious at anything. "I accepted his offer. It has been too long since I got to spend time with him."

Fuji's eyes gleamed; but before he could say anything, Kevin had come to shake the petite girl's shoulders. "Why did you do that?"

Ryoma stared at him as if he had just grown two heads. "Why not?"

"Because…" Kevin trailed off. "Little girls should not date older men."

Ryoma chuckled. "Silly, Kevin. Keigo isn't that _old_."

"But still…!" Kevin paused, finding the right words to say; but he couldn't find anything, so he just added, "Fine. You're lucky it had got to be Atobe. Or else we won't allow you on it."

**xXx**

"Fuji, get back to practice. You won't get anything from me," Seigaku's captain, Tezuka Kunimitsu reprimanded the effeminate brunette as he sorted some documents on his desk inside the clubroom. None of the Regulars was there, so Fuji took his advantage of the opportunity.

"But Tezuka…." Fuji whined, shaking the captain's desk slightly to distract the bespectacled boy. "I want you to schedule a practice on Saturday!"

"No," Tezuka gave Fuji a sharp glance.

"Please?" Fuji isn't used by saying that word, but he will do _anything_ just to get what he wants.

"I am the captain here. And I don't just schedule random practices. Especially at weekends," Tezuka's hand itched to pinch the bridge of his nose. "If you don't want Echizen to go on her date on Saturday, don't let me in with whatever scheme you'd do."

"But…!"

Tezuka glared at him. "I told you; you won't get anything from me."

Fuji sighed. At least he knows he'd have the last laugh. "Are you sure? Then you will be the one who'd get something from me."

Tezuka lifted an eyebrow, and he watched as Fuji placed a few photos on Tezuka's desk rather boorishly. "My pictures."

"Yeah, they are." Fuji smirked. "A practice on Saturday, or have them posted on the bulletin boards…?"

Tezuka tuned Fuji out, and instead continued reading the match request from some amateur school.

"Ah. I could just imagine how much chaos those pictures will get. Imagine, there were pictures of _the _Student Council President Tezuka Kunimitsu posted on the bulletin board. They would…._fight_ just to get those. Ah… the power of fangirls…" Fuji finished, smirking mischievously as he glanced at Tezuka through his lowered lids.

"Fuji." Tezuka sighed, but nevertheless caught the tensai's attention.

"Well?"

Fuji eyed each and every move of Tezuka, when he swiped the pictures from his desk and traced the corner of them with his fingers, and then proceeding rip them in halves, in fourths; and Fuji found his eyes widening as he reached and tried to stop Tezuka.

"W-why did you…?"

"I have loads of work to do, Fuji. Bug someone else."

Maybe Tezuka has this kind of ability in stealing the last laugh.

Ah, well. Fuji still has his _Plan B._

**xXx**

Kikumaru noticed that in the whole morning practice, Fuji has this sort of gloomy aura surrounding him. It's like; Fuji has something in his mind, because he just kept silent all the while. And it's bugging the hell out of Kikumaru.

He bounced towards his best friend, flashing him one of his ludicrous grins, "Fujiko!"

But Fuji kept seated on the wooden bench, staring unseeingly at nothing in particular, absentmindedly sipping on his water bottle. Kikumaru gulped, not used in seeing the tensai in this state. "F-fuji…?"

Fuji looked up, compelling a weak smile at his best friend. "Hai, Eiji?"

"Is there something wrong?" Kikumaru puffed his cheeks out, furrowing his brows as he looked at Fuji with a hint of worry in his eyes.

Fuji shook his head. "Perhaps I'm trying to be a good senpai; but apparently, I'm failing." He sighed in distress as he sunk further against his seat.

Kikumaru sat beside him, head cocked in one side. "What do you mean?"

"It's not my fault if I try to stop my kouhai in doing some things not in their age, right?" Fuji sighed heavily once more. "I mean, I'm being a good senpai; but people just won't cooperate!"

Kikumaru bit his lip in concern, but he couldn't discern what in the world Fuji means. _'He's using the 'saying-something-but-not-telling-anything' strategy again!'_

"Mou, Fuji~! What do you want me to do? I mean, I don't want to see you in this state again, nya~! What _really_ is your problem?" Kikumaru wrung his hands, looking inquiringly at the tensai.

"Can you bear seeing our kouhai having a date with some old monkey in our rival school?" Fuji blurted out suddenly, but then gasped as he realized that he hadn't chosen the right words. "Ah, etou, I mean…"

Kikumaru's eyes widened as realization dawned unto him. _'That's right. Ochibi and Atobe…'_

The redhead punched a fist in the air. "Don't worry about it! I won't tolerate having Ochibi and Atobe date. We'll do something about it, na, Fujiko?" he patted his best friend's shoulder, grinning cheekily as the tensai finally released his usual smile.

"Hai, Eiji," Fuji drew the syllables out, his cerulean orbs beneath the lids gleaming waywardly.

**xXx**

"Ochibi~" Kikumaru called, latching himself onto the freshman. Ryoma stiffened for a minute, but nonetheless let her senpai do what he wants.

"What is it, Kikumaru-senpai?" she writhed slightly so that she could breath easily.

"I want to show you the newly opened tennis shop in the shopping district, nya~! I've heard that they were selling high-quality materials!" Kikumaru bounced excitedly, shaking the rookie's shoulders ecstatically.

Ryoma broke into an excited smile as well. "Sure! When is this?"

"Saturday! You would come, right?" Kikumaru gave her his practiced puppy-look.

Ryoma couldn't help but to pout, "But, ne, I already have plans for Saturday."

"Cancel it, then!" Kikumaru childishly blurted, puffing his cheeks out. "I want to see the shop with Ochibi, nya!"

"But saa…"

"Mou~!"

Ryoma bit her lips, torn on what to do. Her date on Saturday is important, since it has been years since she had gone out with Atobe, but seeing Kikumaru's distressed features make her cancel whatever plans she had already made. She sighed; Keigo is more important.

"I'm sorry, senpai. Maybe next time…" she gave an apologetic look, wincing slightly as Kikumaru sniffed.

"But—"

"Ryoma-kun! The meeting is about to start!" Sakuno called from afar, waving her arms wildly in the air.

Ryoma looked at her, and then back at Kikumaru. "A-anou, senpai…"

Kikumaru sniffed rather louder, trying to convince the rookie. Ryoma frowned. "I promise I'll go with you next time." And she bowed in respect before running towards Sakuno.

Kikumaru straightened up; there's no room for slacking off in his mission. He looked around, finding a certain Regular.

Time for Plan B!

**xXx**

"O-o-ow!" Ryoma obviously had the difficulty to pin the last of her butterfly-shaped trinket, given by Rinko, onto her hair. She removed the trinket as she noticed that her hair had gone disarray. She sighed; examining her reflection behind the mirror.

"Not too loud, Chibisuke…" Ryoga whined sleepily, snuggling under the covers of Ryoma's bed. He and Kevin had suddenly decided to sleep in Ryoma's room the night before.

"Sorry…" the freshman whispered, smiling apologetically. She brushed her hair once more, but not daring to put the trinket. She head towards her closet, rummaging around, biting her lips in distress. "Mou~ what shall I do?"

"Fretting about… early in the morning…" Kevin grunted, peeking from under the blanket of his designated futon.

"I still have to prepare for our date…" Ryoma sighed, looking at her alarm clock. "It's already nine. Keigo would fetch me here at eight forty-five." She winced at the thought of Keigo waiting downstairs.

A mutual something seemingly emerged from the two slumbering lads as they both sat up; at the same second, with the same pose.

"Good morning, you two. I'm sorry for waking you up," Ryoma sat down, hurriedly pulling her socks on.

**Downstairs…**

Atobe suppressed the urge to wrinkle his nose as Nanjiroh blew puffs of smoke in his face yet again.

"Are you sure you can protect my daughter from any harm?" he inquired, observing Atobe from up and down.

"Of course, Ore-sama will," Atobe blinked. "Hey. You talk about it as if Ryoma and Ore-sama will get married."

Nanjiroh scowled. "Do you have the right to talk back? I'm older than you."

"A-ah…"

"Nanjiroh, stop pestering the kid," Rinko sighed, placing a glass of orange juice in front of the Hyoutei captain. She smiled. "Keigo-kun, I'd be the one apologizing for Ryoma's tardiness."

Atobe nodded. "It's okay, Rin-obaasan. Ore-sama's used to it."

Rinko chuckled. "Saa. I think she'll be here in a minute or two, anyway. Just feel at home. I'll just bring the laundry upstairs, hm?"

Before he could even nod, a loud stomping along the stairs caught their attention. Ryoma ran towards him, bowing shamefully. "I'm sorry!"

Atobe couldn't help but to chuckle at Ryoma's adorability. "Ore-sama waited for…" he glanced at his watch. "…nineteen minutes."

Ryoma pouted, slapping the Hyoutei captain's arm rather playfully. "I didn't mean it."

"You didn't?" he smirked, giving the lass his _'Are-you-mocking-Ore-sama' _look. The freshman shook her head, grinning.

"Areh, Ryoma…" Rinko voiced out, shaking her head in dismay. "What are you wearing, tennis skirt? Is that appropriate attire when you're in a date? tsk, tsk. You're a hopeless little girl…" she gave her daughter _the look_. "Go change."

"Ehh," Ryoma protested, holding on to Atobe's sleeve. "Keigo has waited long enough. And I don't want to wear a dress," she stuck her tongue out childishly.

Nanjiroh grinned as he watched the maternal exchange. _'Teehee. That's my girl. Just refuse, Ryoma I know you're cute and all; but it's ten years too early for you to show up wearing garments that are being worn by sexy women with-' _and for people's safety, it's best to cut that out.

The samurai discreetly obtained Ryoma's trademark cap from Rinko's laundry basket and waved it in front of his daughter's face. "Oi, Bishoujo. You forgetting anything?" his grin grew wider.

"Ah… thanks," Ryoma muttered, retrieving the cap and placing it on her head absently. She smiled at Keigo once. "Let's go."

Rinko suddenly let out a deafening shriek. "What the—you, Nanjiroh! That's obviously not a thing for girls!" she raised her basket and threw it at Nanjiroh, who expertly dodged the thing. "Saa, Ryoma, why don't you remove that…?"

But the two had already left.

**xXx**

He pressed his eyeglasses on the bridge of his nose and keenly observed as the two had turned around a corner. He nodded to his companion, who secretly rolled his eyes. He then whispered rather dramatically in complete English, "Pursue him!"

* * *

**A/N: **As usual, the Q&A portion:

*Who do you think are those two? 3

For **shiraishireiya**'s question... well, no, not yet, just bits of her past memories.

**R&R!**


	10. Chapter 9: It's a Date!

**A/N: ***wearing a helmet and holding a huge shield* I've come for a peaceful interaction. PLEASE DON'T KILL ME! OwO

Wew. It has been TOO long. I mean, like, September, October, November, December, January, February, and March! Seven months of no-show. Blergh. Anyway, I'm about to graduate. And I don't really know if it's a good thing since I'm entering college. ^^"

First things first: **I'M REALLY SORRY **FOR SUDDENLY DISAPPEARING LIKE THAT. I'm really busy, y'know. =(

And **I MISS EVERYONE! **I hope you're still sticking with me. *hopeful look*

Anyway, I present to you the newest chapter of Forgotten Memories.

**OH! **And one more thing, while FFN's being a bitch and won't let me update. I really can't remember if I've replied to your reviews or not, but let me make it straight. **THANK YOU FOR READING AND REVIEWING **and **I'M SORRY FOR NOT ANSWERING YOUR REPLIES. **And please do continue supporting this. :D

**Disclaimer: **No, I'm sick of admitting that I don't own 'em. =.=

* * *

**Chapter 9 - It's a Date!**

"Can you see them?" Momoshiro inquired as he tried to see through a music store nearby. He squinted his eyes and put a hand over his forehead, attempting to make anything out. "Can you?" he repeated.

"Uh, yeah. I think…" Kikumaru looked through a binoculars, concentrating on the spot where Ryoma was seated, listening on her headphones. He remained motionless for a moment and saw the Hyoutei captain approaching his date. "Atobe…"

"What happened?" Fuji asked, not bothering to conceal his curiosity.

The acrobat continued to observe. "Nothing much, they're just talking…" he suddenly squealed. "O'chibi-chan's so cute~!"

"E-Eiji…" mother hen Oishi fretted, looking at his teammates in worry. "We really shouldn't do this…"

The tensai grabbed the binoculars as though he hadn't heard his teammate. "Let me see," he looked through the lenses and saw their rookie laughing with Atobe.

His eyes cracked open.

"Ne, Inui-senpai, what's that?" Kaidoh, who had just passed by Kikumaru and got dragged into the whole mess, asked, making his two companions look at the data gatherer who's still in his night clothes for Kikumaru just dragged him out of his house earlier in the morning. Of course Inui had predicted it, but the red-haired player had gone beyond his data in the speed department. _When it comes to Echizen... Ii data._

Inui gazed at them behind his spectacles. "Plan."

"Ahh." They answered rather simultaneously as though they already knew it was coming.

A blur of white passed followed by a deafening shout of "BURNIIIIIINNNGGG!" made Fuji loosen his grip on the binoculars as he was startled. He stood up from his hiding place. "Taka-san."

The said male stopped and looked back, and seeing the tensai waving at him, he jumped off his bike and pulled it toward them. "What's going on?"

Before Fuji could even reply, Kikumaru had tugged them down behind the bushes. The acrobat glared lasers at them. "What are you two doing?"

Kawamura appeared clueless. "Eh?"

Fuji smiled at his expression. "We're monkey-hunting."

"Ha?"

_A chuckle._

"They're leaving!" Momoshiro hissed, gathering everyone's attention. The six of them stuck their heads out of the space where they can see their objects.

Kikumaru clapped twice. "Minna, move!" and he discreetly followed the couple, with his teammates tailing closely behind him.

"You're following Atobe?" Kawamura asked in disbelief, creeping to follow his ex-teammates absently.

"Echizen. We're following Echizen." Fuji glanced pointedly at Ryoma to prove his point.

The powerhouse blinked repeatedly. "Eh? Echizen's back?"

All of them froze and looked at him, realizing that they haven't told him Echizen's situation yet.

"Yeah," the tensai replied casually, unaffected by the tension, and jerked a thumb at the girl with Atobe. "That's Echizen."

The Hadoukyuu specialist recognized the girl from last week. "She resembles Echizen right. A relative of him?"

"No, no, no." Momoshiro tsk-ed impatiently. "That girl's really Echizen Ryoma. Echizen is a girl."

Kawamura couldn't absorb the information properly. His eyes went blank and his jaw dropped as he was stunned. But he did, though, after a short while.

"**EHH?"**

**O.O**

Echizen Ryoma jerked her head to the direction of the group of bushes where the Seigaku Regulars were hiding, in time that the said people ducked to hide. She furrowed her eyebrows. _I swear I saw those bushes rustle. And heard it speak._

"What is it?" The Hyoutei captain inquired as he tossed the CDs he's already seen to a salesman nearby. It didn't escape his fabulous insight when Ryoma took an agitated look outside the shop. "Waiting for something, ahn~?" he added.

The lass shook her head, gazing at her comrade. "Nothing. I just thought I heard those bushes speak or something."

Atobe momentarily wondered if he really had heard what he thought he had, but then he realized that his sense of hearing's perfect, so of course he did. But nevertheless, he asked, "What?"

"Exactly." Ryoma tried to make a straight face. "Forget what I said."

**O.O**

Kawamura flailed his arms, wondering whether he would pass out first due to lack of oxygen before the lively half of the Golden Pair release him or the other way around, for the latter had slapped a hand over his mouth after his previous outburst but, unfortunately, his airway had also gotten blocked.

Oishi noticed the powerhouse's face turning purple. He pried his doubles partner away. "Eiji!" he gave him a reprimanding look, which made him let go rather reluctantly.

The dating duo had already walked several meters from the music store, still seemingly unaware that they were being followed. The Regulars (sans Tezuka) kept an eye on the two, with the data man predicting the next location they are going to take.

Inui's glasses gleamed under the morning sun as he continued scribbling in his handy dandy notebook. A small mischievous smile lingered in his lips. "Got it." All six of them stared at him, puzzled. He made a signal for them to sit down ("But we're following them!" Kikumaru protested stubbornly, only to be silenced by his best friend's open-eyed glare.) and they did, forming a small circle with Inui's notebook spread out in the middle.

"What's that?" Kikumaru asked after he recovered from the aftershock of Fuji's glare, staring at the sketch on Inui's notebook. His dark blue eyes blinked curiously as they traced the lines and read the familiar shop names within the vicinity, yet not making anything out of it.

Momoshiro gazed at the music store where Ryoma and Atobe had come from, then back at the doodle in the notebook. He saw the same music store name with an "x" mark beside a flag drawing on it. "Looks like a map."

The others had understood this as they nodded along with Inui. "For what?" Kaidoh suddenly asked.

"Oh!" the tensai exclaimed, as though answering the viper's question in his mind. He scanned the green flag drawings at several locations in the data man's map. "Brilliant, Inui!"

All of them except the mastermind and the tensai, got utterly confused by the latter's outburst. "Eh?" Kawamura voiced out for them.

Oishi's green orbs scrutinized the page quietly. _So flashy, these places. I mean, Ze Franke's? Atobe will be the only one who'd think of going there… Wait, what? _He then looked at the data gatherer. _As expected from Inui._

"Are these the places where you think Echizen and Atobe would go?" he wondered out loud.

Realization dawned unto the others as they considered the vice-captain's conclusion. Inui adjusted his glasses. "Of course not," he smiled maliciously. "These are the places where Echizen and Atobe would go."

"How can you be so sure?" the boomerang snake specialist grunted, getting ticked off as the two of his teammates were being mysterious.

The data man sensed that it was going to be a long explanation. He started talking in his monotonous demeanor. "Considering the fact that they are on a date, it will be obvious that Atobe will be the one to organize their dating spots," he paused, waiting for a reaction.

And to get a reaction he did.

"But, Inui-senpai…" Momoshiro gazed at the map. "There are commoner shops in here as well."

"Yes," the data man answered as though it were obvious. "Atobe planned to go to several flashy stores to show off. However, Echizen is not accustomed into going to these kinds of places. Therefore, in order to show off, as what his original plan was, he planned to go there as well."

"Sugoi!" the red-haired player clapped his hands in awe, staring at Inui as though he was some mighty hero.

Fuji's cerulean eyes traced the path of the map the data man had doodled. "Music store, tennis shop, French resto," he paused thoughtfully, eyes lingering to a certain spot on the notebook. "Zero percent of them going to amusement park?"

"Yes," Inui replied, still monotonously. "It's in his ego."

The tensai's eyes glinted. "Are you sure, Inui?"

"A hundred percent."

"Okay!" Fuji hummed cheerfully, standing up and dusting himself. "I forgot I still have to do something." Waving at them as he sprinted off, he added, "I'll call you later, minna."

**O.O**

And to call later he did.

"For someone who left just an hour ago, you sure have interesting connections, Fuji," Seigaku's data man commented appreciatively over the phone as they watched the couple they were stalking being pushed inside the amusement park. "It went beyond my data."

Fuji's chuckle resonated from Inui's phone rather loudly as its speaker was activated. "Saa, Inui, you still have long ways before you beat me."

His statement made the other Regulars shiver uncontrollably. Kikumaru was the first to react as he was somehow immune to his best friend's antics. "But Fuji, nya, what're you up to?"

"Himitsu."

"Mou~"

"But Eiji," Fuji started, his smile widening unknowingly on the other end of the line. "I need all of you to do this, if you want to save Echizen from the grip of that Monkey King, that is."

Of course Kikumaru was motivated; it's his O'chibi's life at stake, after all. And with his hyperactivity combined with Fuji's sadistic propensity, no one dared to object.

**O.O**

"Welcome, Atobe-sama, ojousama," several ladies dressed in French maid's uniform emerged from the gates of the amusement park, holding a tray with pieces of paper scattered on top of it.

Atobe raised an eyebrow in confusion as Ryoma did in amusement. "What?" he glanced at the amusement park itself, trying to remember where he did plan to go there.

"We have received your call and reserved the whole park for the day, like what you had ordered," One of them smiled sweetly, "Please enjoy your stay, Atobe-sama, ojousama."

They all bowed.

But Atobe's confusion still wasn't at ease. "Are you kidding? Ore-sama wouldn't dare to…"

"Enough, Keigo," Ryoma rolled her eyes. It occurred to her that her friend wouldn't really admit that he had reserved a theme park in front of her for it was humiliating for his pride. And so she pulled him inside, not really knowing what chaos will arise.

**O.O**

"Honestly, I'm rather surprised at your idea of date," Ryoma stated with a dry chuckle, gripping the handle with her quivering hands.

"At which part?" the Hyoutei captain had the urge to roll his eyes as he, too, was securing his grip on the bar.

"Admit it, Kei." The lass started, now starting to feel dizzy. "If you were the one behind all this, I won't be astonished or anything. Just admit it," her tone was icy-cold now.

"What? Having the whole amusement park reserved and then getting stuck in the roller coaster?"

"Yes, Keigo," Ryoma drawled out.

**O.O**

"It's Delta. I'm here at location C," the speaker shifted to the center of an unmoving Ferris wheel, looking through the binoculars. "And in my point of view, the objects are now squabbling. It seems to me that object R is scowling at object A and—"

"Stop, stop. You've given too much information. Now, stroll for a few minutes and in my signal, you'll do Instruction Two."

"Hai, nya."

"And please, don't say that when we're on radio."

"Er—how about, Aye aye?"

"'t'ever…"

The line went static before a new voice came on.

"It's alpha. I will now transmit the recording from the current target location."

Another static lasted for a few moments before a clear findings of two voices rang.

"_Ore-sama didn't plan to reserve the park, really."_

"_But you intend to bring me here?"_

"_No. That's why Ore-sama didn't reserve the park."_

"_I don't believe you; the park has your name on the reservation."_

"_But Ore-sama really didn't…"_

"_Yet we still entered."_

"_You pulled Ore-sama!"_

"_But you didn't bother to struggle. And stop 'Ore-sama'-ing me."_

"_That's because…"_

"_You had the park reserved."_

"_Yeah, but still—NO!"_

"_See?"_

"_Gah, Ryoma. Will you listen to me first?"_

"_Call diverted; beep beep beep."_

"_Hey, I really did not intend to bring you here…"_

"_No one's listening."_

"_Ryoma..."_

"_I'm not talking to you."_

"_Stop being childish."_

"_Ameagari no sora no you na—"_

"**Go."**

"_Mabushii—eeeeeekkkkkk!"_

The buzzing sound of static came back, but then after a second it was gone and had never come again. Furthermore, the power to the Komorogawa Fun Park has just come back.

**O.O**

"Stop sulking," Atobe rolled his eyes, placing a can of grape soda across him and in front of his date, and watched the freshman awhile sipping his root beer. The lass grabbed the drink absently, eyes glued at the fountain outside the pizzeria they were in.

"Maybe today is really an off day," she trailed off, biting her lips. She still couldn't understand why today of all days.

The Hyoutei captain nodded. "Don't worry, things will get fine. Ore-sama assures you," he paused as he looked at the counter. "Hey, you still want anything?"

"Ponta," she put the empty can down, sighing. Never had she felt depressed in an amusement park before. She mentally counted the disturbances that they have encountered in this whole theme park escapade.

There were the bushes, and the weird ice cream vendor that kept looking at her, the odd couple that so looked liked Ryoga and Kevin, and the balloons that Atobe had bought for her that burst one by one as though someone was popping them…

And then the shadows!

It was the shadows that freaked Ryoma out the most. She doesn't know if that was only her imagination but there were strange shadows that kept trailing after them. But when she looks at their spot, they disappear almost instantly.

She kept thinking that they were too impossible to be coincidences. If not, then, what are they?

Meanwhile, Atobe was frowning at her choice but nevertheless called for the waiter. He raised his hand to snap and a blond waiter came stumbling to them. "W-what's your order, sir?" his voice sounded breathless, but it got to catch Ryoma's attention as she looked at him.

_And then there is this bizarre waiter…_

The waiter gulped, and Ryoma could see his eyes behind his sunglasses fluttering in discomfort. Somehow, the waiter looks familiar, and she's sure she had already met him somewhere. She spared a glance at Atobe, and confirmed the suspicious look he was giving the waiter.

The object of their thoughts coughed once, and his hand flew to adjust his cap rather nervously, his golden locks wildly sticking out of it. "May I take your order, sir?"

"Ah, Ponta." Atobe finally answered, blinking.

**O.O**

"These things are so cool, Fuji!" Kikumaru chirped happily, playing with the recording devices and radios that Fuji brought with him, as they all took a break in the kitchen of the pizzeria the dating couple was in.

Fuji chuckled. "Do you like them?" he took a bite from his unpaid pizza. He needed not to worry as the owner of the said shop was currently knocked—asleep—somewhere inside the cabinets. And what he doesn't know won't hurt him, right? "You can take them after this, if you want to." He added when his best friend gave an eager nod.

"This is boring," the Mastermind Demigod in the name of Echizen Ryoga said rather dully as he lay on the floor, peering at his sister and her date from the slightly opened kitchen door. Apparently, halfway through their stalking trip, they had met the Regulars, and since they aim the same thing, they merged. "I want to go home."

"Maa, maa, Echizen-san. I personally think that it's fun, not boring," the tensai said, and everyone felt a chill running down their spines.

"What are you doing, Inui-senpai?" Kaidoh asked. He just loves to pay attention to the data man, doesn't he?

Inui gazed at him, lowered his mobile phone, and said, "I'm trying to call Tezuka."

"Well, give up already." Oishi said a matter-of-factly. "It's impossible that Tezuka would go here. You know, he is a no nonsense person. Besides, no one here is really interested in stalking them," he blinked repetitively as Inui, Momoshiro, Kikumaru, Fuji, and Ryoga shot him a look. "W-well, except for you five, that is."

"Furthermore," the tensai started, licking his lips. "Shouldn't you have already figured that out, ah, Inui?"

Inui's eyebrow twitched. "Tezuka always goes beyond my data."

**O.O**

A soft sigh escaped Atobe's lips as he noticed that Ryoma still wasn't going to make any move to make a conversation with him. "You know," fortunately, he got the attention of the Seigaku Photographer. "How I planned this day to end was the two of us watching sunset together."

The lass couldn't help but to smile serenely. "Really?"

"No," that smile was instantly replaced by a pout.

"Ore-sama would never do something crappy like that." Atobe smirked, getting the reactions he wanted. "But…"

"But?"

He chuckled inwardly. Ryoma could easily be toyed around sometimes. "Say what."

"What."

"Let's go watch sunset together."

"Baka."

"Just kidding."

**O.O**

They arrived at a street tennis court, and auspiciously for Atobe, it was deserted. However, Ryoma was slightly confused. "Why here?"

"Why, don't you like it here?" Even though he was supposed to panic at the moment, as Ryoma decided to reject the place, he wasn't. Instead, he was smirking.

And then it hit Ryoma.

Of course she would never not like the tennis courts! And even though they had only arrived there moments ago, she felt herself breathing much more comfortably. But then her eyebrows furrowed. "But we didn't bring rackets."

"Who didn't?" the diva asked, retrieving a large tennis bag from his newly-arrived chauffer, who, after giving the said thing to his master, departed immediately.

**O.O**

"You know, Keigo?" Ryoma started happily, backhanding the ball back to her opponent. Atobe grunted in reply. "Recently, I have discoveries—or shall I say, returning memories." _Smash._

It seemed that Atobe forgot that he was playing tennis for he just stood there, unable to react at the incoming ball. The call bounced and hurled toward the fence behind him. "AH!" Ryoma let out an excited squeal. "Point for me. Three games to two."

"Hu—what?" the Hyoutei captain blinked repetitively. "You were distracting me!" he walked toward the baseline and got ready for Ryoma's serve. "But, you're not kidding me, are you?"

"Why should I?" _Twist serve. _

_Hit. _"I'm just asking."

"Well," _Hit. _"I recently discovered that I was a boy."

"You're fooling me," Atobe let out a sigh as he accidentally lobbed the ball.

_Smash. _"No, I didn't mean it literally. " _Hit. _"I mean, somehow, I cross dressed. I don't know." She spared a mischievous glance at her opponent. "But you do, don't you." _Lob. _It wasn't a question.

"Of course," Atobe made a quick sprint and he jumped, smashing the ball rather heavily.

"T-then why don't you…" the greenette found it hard to return as her racket was knocked out of her hands. "…tell it to me?"

The ball bounced back to Atobe, who smashed it once more, earning a point. _Rondo Towards Destruction. _"After you beat me, I will."

* * *

**R&R!**

Date written - March 23, 2011; 11:45am

Date posted - April 01, 2011; 05:00pm


	11. Chapter 10: Burgers, For Old Times' Sake

**A/N: **Hi. :D

I feel awkward. LOL.

Anyway, I present to you the next chapter~! Woo! Isn't this cool? I didn't take a full year before I posted a new chapter. XD I still don't see how a full month made it better, though.=.=

Btw, I've just enrolled to college. You know what that means? Another factor for being a hindrance in updating. Blergh. College subjects are sooo out of this world! ALIEN! XD

Random thought: I LOVE Royal Pair! XD But I still haven't decided whether I should make this a romance fic. (Me doesn't know how a romance fic should look like. ^^")

Enough with this! =P

**Warning: **Beware of spelling and grammar errors. The MSWord was minimized when I was typing, so I hadn't really read this out. I don't have that great eyesight, in addition. You're warned. =P

**Disclaimer: **I don't own PoT.

* * *

**Chapter 10 - Burgers, For Old Times' Sake!**

_"It's not like he doesn't want to tell you everything."_

Ryoma flopped down her bed, recalling what Atobe had said about Ryoga after she beat him earlier. She started to stroke Karupin's fur as the cat bounced on her chest.

"_Well, he really doesn't," Atobe added as an afterthought, taking a swig from his water bottle. His eyes caught the movement of Ryoma's lips as she was about to protest, so he held up a hand to shut her up. "Don't get it all wrong."_

_The girl furrowed her eyebrows, tempted to speak out. She opened her mouth, but a wag from the King's finger pursed her lips once more. _

"_He wants you to remember your memories by yourself, which was why he wasn't telling you anything," he paused, locking his gaze on her._

"_But…" Ryoma's eyes were clouded with confusion. "I don't understand."_

_If rolling his eyes won't destroy the princely aura Atobe had, he would've done it. "You won't remember it even if Ore-sama tells you that it was because of you that Seigaku won the Nationals three years ago. Or if Ore-sama says that you once had amnesia three years ago."_

_Those eyes that were clouded by confusion had widened at the sudden revelation. "Really?" she tried to remember if those things really had happened, but failed, resulting to what Atobe said adding up to her confusion._

"_So now you're confused," the grey-haired diva suddenly concluded, his hand sprawled across his face in a somewhat bizarre fashion. _

"_Eh?" Ryoma mouthed, tilting her head slightly. "But, ne, Keigo…" she looked up at him. "What you said… is that true?"_

"_Well, the second is," the hand from Atobe's face moved to cup his chin. "But Ore-sama's not sure about the first, since it was a team effort," he let out a charming smirk at the girl's reactions. _I suppose it was. You're their lucky charm, after all.

"_Team?" Ryoma croaked, hand flying to pat her chest as her heart started hammering loudly against it. "You mean the Seigaku team?"_

_Atobe decided that he had reached the boundary of his promise with Ryoga, so he diverted to another topic. "Ryoga-san was really concerned that he didn't want you to be confused by what is true and what is not."_

_The former Prince blinked as the King's words were dawning unto her. _Aniki.

"_Too anxious, he was…" the girl focused on what he was saying. "…that he exerted his effort just to convince us to not tell you, knowing that you'd hate him for doing that. And the others as well."_

_But Ryoma didn't, as she perfectly understood what her older brother had been doing. For her sake._

"To think that my baka Aniki would do something like that…" she whispered quietly to herself, mulling things over before jerking suddenly as she was startled. She sat up, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "When did I start thinking of him as stupid?"

A hiss resonated on her room as Karupin mewled, ordering his mistress to continue stroking him in his own language. The girl did so, frowning. "I'm being bad, Karupin. I don't remember hanging around Fuji-senpai, though."

O_O

"Mou, Momo-chin. Your Dunk Smash made my arms hurt like hell!" Kikumaru pouted, stretching his arms above his head as they walked toward the clubroom.

Momoshiro only laughed. "Well, Eiji-senpai, you really don't have to return it. You just don't."

"Why you—"

The usual chatter filled the tennis courts as practice had come to its end. Ryoma packed her camera away, smiling as she saw Kevin near the tennis court gates. They rarely talked in school, probably because of Kevin's practices and her photography duties, so seeing him not preoccupied was an event on her luck.

She padded toward him, discreetly getting his water bottle as the blond was busy ridding his face of sweat. "Here," she said, handing him the bottle. She watched as Kevin downed some of the content before splashing the remains on his head. "We do not spend time together anymore," she muttered, but loud enough for Kevin to hear it.

Apparently, Kevin was not the only one who heard her, as she got reactions from some of the non-Regulars.

"Heh," a student from their class spoke, pausing from picking the tennis balls. "Kevin-kun has such a cute girlfriend."

Kevin groaned. "Shut up, Kaname."

Ryoma smiled. "Thank you."

"Oi!" the blond exclaimed. "Don't lead them on just because you like it!"

Kaname laughed. "Yie. Kevin-kun's so shy."

"He just is, Kaname-kun," Ryoma laughed along with him.

"Ryoma!"

"But we're like a couple," Ryoma said in between her giggles. "Kaname-kun said so."

The blond sighed in distress. "Baka." He gazed secretly at the greenette, whose eyes were flashing beautifully. _Bringing her to Japan isn't such a bad idea,_

O_O

"Oi, Echizen!" Momoshiro called as he spotted the former Regular at the vending machines. "Going home?"

Ryoma nodded awkwardly, popping her preferred carbonated soda open. "Hai, senpai."

The rascal grinned, remembering the old times. "Want to grab a burger first?"

The girl considered the invitation for a moment before a sly smirk flashed across her lips. "Only if you pay."

Momoshiro was taken aback by the look. His right eye twitched and his instincts already told him to take back what he had said. But he was a man, and he would never do that.

Besides, Echizen is a girl _now, _isn't she? So she was supposed to behave like one.

Right?

"I will."

"Okay!" Ryoma chirped before turning around, waving an arm to Kevin, who was on the drinking fountains. "Kev! Momo-senpai's inviting me for burgers! Says he's treating, wanna come?"

"What?"

"Really? I'm in!"

The female freshman shared a knowing grin with the blond as he marched toward them. "That was so nice of you, Momoshiro."

"Burgers?" this time, Momoshiro was the one to whirl around; hopeful to get out of the mess he created. Kikumaru bounced toward them, an excited look displayed in his face. "I'd want to come too!"

"Sure thing!" Momoshiro hastily agreed, turning to his kouhais. "Look, this will be a senpai's treat. Right, Eiji-senpai?"

"Yeah!" the redhead pumped a fist in the air, his other elbow nudging his doubles partner. "Ne, Oishi?"

The mother hen felt the corner of his mouth twitch. "A-Aa."

"This seems rather interesting," Seigaku's tensai voiced out as he padded gracefully toward the group. "I think I should come as well."

O_O

"How come I was stuck to have a weird best friend, nya?"Kikumaru wonderd out loud, sipping his cola absently while staring at Fuji.

The said tensai paused from filling his burger with fries and looked at the acrobat. "Whatever you mean, Eiji_ko_?" he asked rather innocently, putting emphasis on the _ko _part.

"Well," the redhead started thoughtfully, earning a _You're-crazy-for-talking-like-that-to-a-sadist _look from everyone on their table. "Who fills his burger with fries, nya?" he rolled his eyes when the tensai was about to poke his Vanilla sundae with fries. "And dip his fries on an ice cream? WHO DOES THAT!" he blurted out when Fuji started to nibble the Vanilla-coated French fries. "You're weird, nya!"

Fuji feigned a pout. "That's mean. Do you hate me?"

A look of horror flashed across Kikumaru's face. "Of course not! I super like Fujiko, nya!"

"I thought so," the tensai replied, smiling brightly. He put a finger on his bottom lip, tilting his head to the side. "Then will you give your _koi _a kiss?"

"Nya?" Kikumaru threw his other teammates a helpless look, only to find out that they were submerged in their own little world. He whipped his head to the right. "Oishi!"

The mother hen was palming his face, still depressed by the fact that his wallet had deflated from treating all of them—sans Fuji, who had the decency to pay for himself. Apparently, he hadn't heard his doubles partner.

"PDA isn't allowed here, sir," a waitress reprimanded them gently, though wishing that she'd see the show. Fuji glared at her, but she didn't seem affected by it, as she thought that the glaring tensai was rather hot.

Fuji leaned back against his seat, making a face. "I'd really want a kiss from Eiji, though," he stated jokingly.

"Meanie!" Kikumaru cried out, blushing deeply in embarrassment.

O_O

"Say, Echizen," From the other side of the table, Momoshiro started within mouthful of burger. "I've been wondering about this, you see, and surely you would spare your best friend—" Kevin's eyebrow twitched as Ryoma only blinked in surprise, "—an explanation."

"Best friend?" Ryoma muttered questioningly, looking at Kevin, who shrugged. She then averted her gaze to Momoshiro, who paused from eating his eighth burger, his eyes fluttering away, shrugging as well.

"Yeah," the rascal said slowly before covering his previous sadness with a ludicrous grin. "Anyway, it's still bugging me…" he paused. "How did you get amnesia?"

"Momoshiro!" Oishi and Kevin exclaimed warningly, the latter louder than the Moon Volley specialist. Kikumaru and Fuji were also startled by the unexpected question, but didn't react that abnormally. Apparently, they were also interested.

"Hey guys…" Ryoma mouthed softly. "You don't need to keep your guard whenever you're with me," she sighed. "Please… don't worry about me."

Silence.

"Gomen," Fuji chuckled, reaching out to pat Ryoma's head appreciatively. "We were so coped up into thinking how we should act around you that we hadn't thought of your feelings." It was true, anyway. Everyone was struggling to maintain their composure around her without messing up with their promise with Ryoga.

The freshman looked up at him, gazing at his closed eyes that beheld those magical cerulean orbs.

And then she blushed.

"I—it was… I thought I was being selfish… that's why I—I said that."

It was a different reaction from Kikumaru, however. Since the girl was beside him, it wasn't difficult to hook his arms around her shoulders—much to Kevin's displeasure and annoyance—and snuggle against her. "Kawaii! O'chibi's so sweet, nya!"

"Eh?" Ryoma's breath hitched. And then—"S-senpai! I can't breathe!"

"Eiji!" Seigaku's mother hen immediately called upon seeing her expression, making the redhead let go rather reluctantly.

Momoshiro let out a snort of laughter before turning away, not going unnoticed by Ryoma who also noted the ghost of a smile adorning her senpai's lips. He turned to them once more. "Hey, how about my question?"

"That isn't something you can just ask out of nowhere, you Momoshiro-baka!" Kevin said rather angrily, gritting his teeth as he glared menacingly at the rascal.

Momoshiro furrowed his eyebrows. "O—oi… I was just…" he stopped, gazing shortly at Ryoma. "I really don't mind not getting answers," he continued, grinning lopsidedly.

"It's okay," she smiled, seeing the evident worry clouding Kevin and Momoshiro's eyes. She patted the former's arm. "I don't have an answer for that, anyway."

"Eh…"

"I have amnesia, remember?" she stated a matter-of-factly, beaming at them. "There's no way I could know that," she laughed, somehow making them laugh along with her.

"Ah, Echizen?" Momoshiro suddenly called, earning her attention. "Would you mind if I walk you home?"

Ryoma blinked. "That would be no problem, I think."

"No flirting, Momoshiro," the blond warned him before turning to the female freshman. "And you, don't agree to things that easily!"

"Flirting?" the rascal exclaimed, incredulous. He could see no way that he'd flirt with his best friend. "It's for the sake of old times, yo!"

_Old times? _The girl looked at him, noting something deeper with the way Momoshiro said his previous statement.

"Walk O'chibi home?" Kikumaru's loud voice broke the former Prince's train of thoughts. "That'd be fun! I want to go too!" he swiftly turned to the tensai. "How about you, Fuji?"

"I think I would go with you, guys. It has been a while, after all," Fuji smiled.

"Yay!" another turn to Oishi. "You would come, nya?"

"Of course," the mother hen smiled serenely, his gaze lingering on the green-haired freshman.

O_O

"Demo saa…" Ryoma muttered quietly to herself as she walked home together with some of the Regulars. _Even though I said that there's no way I could remember how I lost my memories…_

Kevin, who was walking beside her, glanced at her worriedly. "Something wrong?"

"Why would you ask that?" she looked at him, an eyebrow raised in wonder.

The blond frowned. "Ah. Nevermind."

Ryoma's mood faltered after that. She gripped the strap of her bookbag tighter. _It seems that somehow, I've got an idea on what had happened…_

.

.

.

And then, it all came rushing into her mind: the ball, the ugly scraping of chains, the chandelier, the people who were scuttling away, and he, who didn't have the least inkling of what was happening around him…

_Aniki… _Ryoma's eyes widened, and subconsciously, she stopped walking.

O_O

_We had paused in the middle of the ballroom when I noticed it: the people were scampering away. My eyes widened and I looked up. To my horror, the chandelier was falling… right on top of us!_

_I nudged Aniki, but he didn't react. Stupid! For all the times, he actually chose this moment to space out. I looked up again, half my mind mechanically thinking of any way to get out of this mess, before looking at Aniki._

_And before I knew it, I was panicking._

_To hell with it! Aniki would owe me a new racket after this. I grasped his arm and swung it, watching as he tumbled and collided against a wall._

_And then, I closed my eyes. Tight._

_I know it would hurt, but I won't mind._

_CRASH._

_Mattaku. This is worse that getting run over by a truck. My eyes felt heavy. I want to sleep. But—_

"_RYOMA!"_

_There, I almost smirked when I saw his crestfallen expression. His eyes were clouded by horror and guilt. That is so unlike you, Aniki._

_My eyes closed involuntarily._

_I might be the last of me, but then I don't care._

_Aniki…_

O_O

_I—I knew… _Ryoma's hands trembled. _And it was so painful._

"Wanna ride, Syuusuke?" that gentle voice snapped Ryoma out of her trance and she looked at the group, her eyes unfocused. Apparently, the boys had also stopped when she did—as a shiny red car bounded toward them—so no one noticed her.

She stared at the car, puzzled.

"Neesan," Fuji greeted before turning to his teammates, head slightly tilted. "And here I thought I could join you in walking Echizen home," he muttered in disappointment.

"Echizen?" Fuji Yumiko's head popped out, searching for the said freshman. She smiled as she spotted the familiar green-haired Regular. "Echizen Ryoma…" her smile instantly faltered in mild surprise. "…chan?"

"Hai…"

"Oooh," Kikumaru blinked in surprise. "Yumiko-neechan ("I certainly don't remember being close to you, Kikumaru-kun," Yumiko mumbled between her teeth upon hearing the catlike boy calling her by her first name.) doesn't know about it," he put a hand beneath his chin in wonder. "How surprising."

"E-Eiji," Oishi tugged the sleeve of his partner's uniform, sweat dropping as he realized where Kikumaru was getting at—something related to the elder Fuji's fortune-telling ability. "Stop being so rude."

Fuji stepped out to block the redhead from his sister's view. Who knows what could happen. After all, whatever the circumstances were, Kikumaru's still his best friend. "Don't mind them, neesan," he smiled. "And yes, Echizen's a girl."

"Interesting!" Yumiko clapped her hands together, letting out a Fuji-like smile. She gazed at the female freshman. "Nice meeting you again, Echizen-chan."

"Nice to meet you, too," Ryoma replied awkwardly, still not knowing the lady's name.

"And he's Kevin Smith," the tensai continued, gesturing to the blond, "our new Regular." He turned to the two. "You two, this is my sister, Fuji Yumiko."

This time, it was Kevin and Yumiko who exchanged greetings. Fuji waited for them to finish before announcing with a shrug, "So I'll go first. Ja ne, minna."

"Bye, Fujiko~!"

"Take care, Fuji."

"Bye, Fuji-senpai."

Fuji smiled, his gaze lingering about everyone before stopping on the lone female. "Take care of yourself then, Echizen."

"Ah… hai, Fuji-senpai," Ryoma mouthed, bowing slightly. "Same with you."

Thus, Fuji slipped into the passenger seat, waving them off before the car departed.

"Fujiko's really affectionate to O'chibi, nya." Kikumaru commented carelessly as he resumed walking, his arms folded behind his head.

Ryoma looked at him, briefly wondering what the redhead meant by that.

O_O

"Tadaima," Kevin called from the front gate as he opened it, waiting for Ryoma, who was still conversing with her senpais, to enter after him.

"Mou, we're here already," Kikumaru grumpily stated, letting out an adorable pout. "Bye, O'chibi," he said rather gloomily.

"Echizen, we're going," Oishi announced, smiling.

Ryoma nodded at him. "Hai, take care on your way back, Oishi-senpai, Kikumaru-senpai," he stopped, turning to the Dunk Smash specialist. "You too, Momo-sen—"

"Hey."

"—pai, eh?"

"I'll be picking you up tomorrow," Momoshiro grinned, ignoring Kikumaru's protest of how unfair Momoshiro was, as he peered straight at those golden orbs he missed.

Ryoma was taken aback by his statement, but nevertheless, she smiled rather appreciatively. "Sure, Momo-senpai."

The front gate scraped against the cement annoyingly, and they all looked at it, realizing that it was Kevin who did that. The blond was shooting laser beams at Momoshiro as he opened the gate wider. "Ryoma. In." he waited for the girl to enter before slamming the gate shut rather rudely.

And so, Kevin had found himself a rival on Ryoma's (best)friendship.

O_O

_Knock. Knock. Knock._

A soft knock resounded at Ryoga's bedroom, earning his attention as he stared at the door blankly. And then he blinked repetitively. "Come in."

Ryoma shyly emerged behind the door, and it got Ryoga to chuckle at the cute picture his little sister was making. "In, Chibisuke."

"Can I sleep here tonight?" the girl asked, looking up at the Demigod with her large golden orbs that made Ryoga ask himself: _Who am I to resist that?_

Even so, he found it strange, as the girl only manages to build up her courage to ask him for a space in his room when she had something to confide on him. "Of course," he smiled, walking across the room to flop on his bed, patting the space beside it.

Ryoma settled herself on the space provided for her, lying next to Ryoga.

There was a long silence after that, and all they did was to stare at each other's eyes.

Ryoma decided to break the ice, however, after she summoned all her guts. She made a move to grasp her Aniki's hand before whispering, "It was because you spaced out…"

Ryoga blinked. "Eh?"

"…that the chandelier… fell on me…"

_His eyes were clouded by horror and guilt._

The lad's eyes flew wide open as he remembered that particular incident. He shook slightly, his mouth going dry. Ryoma… has remembered the incident.

But wait.

Is she… _blaming _him?

His heart ached at the thought. He could only feel Ryoma's hand tightening around his own as the fear of his sister hating him overcame him.

_He was guilty._

"But…" Ryoma's free hand came to cup Ryoga's cheek. She leaned closer until their foreheads touched. "I don't blame you. I would never do."

_Too anxious, he was that he exerted his effort just to convince us to not tell you, knowing that you'd hate him for doing that._

Ryoga opened his mouth, but no sound came out.

"So don't blame yourself too," the former Prince finished, her gaze not retracting from his eyes.

"T—Thank you…" Ryoga finally croaked, smiling to himself in gratification. Ryoma smiled as well. He placed his hand over Ryoma's hand that was on his cheek. He found it hard not to blame himself, but when Ryoma told him herself not to do it, he felt like he really hadn't blamed himself in the first place.

Ever since the incident two years ago, it was the first time he felt a huge weight being heaved away from his chest.

He planted a kiss on her forehead. "Thank you."

* * *

**A/N: **Another random thought: I LOVE REVIEWS, super! :P

**R&R!**


	12. Chapter 11: Painful Flashbacks

**A/N: **Hello. :) My eyes hurt. XD

I was seated in front of the computer the whole afternoon just to finish this. LOL. Sucker. XD

I've updated. :)

I really find myself at loss when I'm making an A/N in here. XD

**Warnings: **Watch out for grammar and spelling errors. _These_ are flashbacks, in Ryoma's POV because I felt like it. They also signify thoughts. They're easy to classify, so I assume there'd be no problem. The **flashbacks**, however, aren't that accurate, since I haven't re-watched PoT yet. Don't worry, I'll look 'em up if I have the luxury of time, and I will edit.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own PoT. Believe it or not. :)

* * *

**Chapter 11 - Painful Flashbacks**

Ryoma woke up from the numbing weight on her stomach. Golden orbs slowly fluttered open, before closing back again as blinding rays of morning sunlight hit them.

She turned her head to the side, only to find out she couldn't. Ryoga was beside her, still sleeping soundly. His head was buried on top of Ryoma's, and his arm was loosely sprawled across her abdomen, hugging her possessively.

The girl frowned upon remembering why Ryoga was there. She was having trouble getting to sleep for several days now, so she had asked her brother to accompany her every night.

Dreams were the reason behind it. Bad dreams, actually.

Still, Ryoma doubted it. She'd even bet that those dreams were fragments of her memory, as they always were since the day they stepped a foot in Japan.

_Always._

_Ah. I couldn't help but to blink in wonder. Did my arm just go numb? I swung my arm repeatedly. Nope, definitely not. Must be my imagination._

_I went back to the baseline, preparing to return. The rally continued for a while, until I missed another shot. Darn it._

_Checking my wrist and finding nothing wrong with it, I glanced at my opponent. What the heck did he do? I bit my lip. I'm getting frustrated._

_By the next moment my arm went numb, I thought of a plan. If my arm can't move, then my body will._

_So I spun around, realizing a little too late that my grip also loosens when I'm on that state. I watched as my racket flew toward the pole and snapped into two, feeling my eyes enlarging as the bottom part rebounded toward my face._

_Ouch. I let out a growl escape from my throat as a hand of mine flew up to cover the aching area._

_It hurts, darn it. I glared at him. You're gonna get it._

The former Prince shook. She could feel the pain as though it only happened that morning. It hurt.

Was the life of the past Ryoma that painful?

Ryoma sighed softly. If those dreams continued bugging her, she'd most likely develop a phobia in sleeping—if there's even such a thing.

The arm around her tightened, and then a husky whisper of "What were you thinking?" tickled her ear.

She shook her head. "Nothing."

But then Ryoma could already feel the frown adorning Ryoga's lips. "Those dreams again?"

The girl hesitated, but then it came to her that nothing ever escaped her older brother. "Yes."

There was a pause.

"Ne, Aniki," Ryoma started, earning a rather curios look from Ryoga. "Was I… I mean, before the accident, was my life painful?"

The brother blinked. "No. Why would you ask that?"

The girl peered straight through Ryoga's confused orbs, finding anything but a lying intention within them. Even so, she didn't feel the least reassured.

"B-But why…" Ryoma whispered with a cracking voice, her lips quivering violently. Ryoga saw this and needed no further elaboration. She was scared, to the point that her will to remember was already chinked.

The older Echizen smiled warmly at her, a hand caressing her cheek affectionately. "Because you were a cocky and arrogant brat."

Ryoma's eyebrows furrowed. She didn't understand.

And Ryoga didn't expect her to.

O_O

"Parking lot?" the former Prince of Tennis wondered out loud, blinking in confusion. Ryoga always dropped her by the gate; he never entered the tennis garden, actually fearing that there might be reporters that knew him and Samurai Nanjiroh.

He nodded absently, maneuvering the car. "Yeah. Someone asked me for a meeting today."

"Really? Here? W—"

"We're here. Get off already," the brother hastily—and distractedly—said after throwing his and Ryoma's seatbelt off, effectively cutting her off. The girl blinked, disoriented, before doing so, instantly forgetting her question.

O_O

Ryoma squirmed slightly, falling back behind the Seigaku Regulars, camera held tightly in her hands. Somehow, she didn't feel comfortable wearing a skirt. She frowned; it was her first time feeling that since Sakuno forced her into wearing one.

"What's the matter, Ryoma-kun?" Apparently, the braided brunette noticed her and was now by her side.

"Nothing," the girl curtly replied. And when Sakuno's huge brown eyes were still boring holes on her, she sighed. "I just feel on edge with this," she gestured to the skirt.

Sakuno blinked blankly. "Really? But that isn't even short."

"Don't know."

She stopped by a vending machine, with the brunette bumping on her. "Ryoma-kun!" Sakuno said before giggling. Ryoma did too.

"If it isn't Echizen-kun," an unfamiliar voice sneered nearby.

Pausing from slipping a coin into the machine, she looked up at him from under her cap—she decided to wear her trademark cap instead of the club visor, with her hair stuffed inside—noting his bleach-white hair and a rather friendly smile despite the sneer. Her eyes fell to his group, eyeing the same red and white jerseys they're wearing.

"Rokkaku," Sakuno whispered beside her.

Ryoma turned to her. "Who are they?"

Saeki Kojiro blinked. "What do you mean—you don't remember us?"

"Did you just say Echizen-kun?" Rokkaku's captain bounced in front of the group. "Where is he?" His eyes fell upon Ryoma, who was busily blinking curiously at them. He grinned. "Echizen-kun!" And then he gazed downward. "Eh? In a skirt?"

The Rokkaku team gazed downward, confirming Aoi Kentarou's outburst. Ryoma suddenly felt conscious of the fact that she was wearing a skirt—as if she hadn't been before.

"She looks cute," Davide started. "She's like a chibi." (1)

Beside him, Kurobane Harukaze—or Bane, as he was commonly called—grunted before aiming a swift kick on Davide's head.

As for Saeki, he started apologizing profusely to the girl. He bowed slightly. "I'm sorry for mistaking you for another person. You actually look a lot like him. My apologies."

"Don't mention it," Ryoma started, popping her grape Ponta can open. "You didn't mistake me for someone else. I'm Echizen Ryoma." She nodded at Sakuno. "Ikou, Ryuuzaki."

The team from Chiba just stared at their retreating backs, dumbstruck.

O_O

"Ah, Ryoma. Good thing you're here," Ryuuzaki-sensei averted her gaze from the registration booth—where Tezuka was in, submitting their form—to look at her. "You too," she nodded at her granddaughter.

"What is it, sensei?" Ryoma padded toward her, head slightly tilted in confusion.

"I know you have your hands full with your photography duties," the coach started. "But I'd like to pass you the bench coach duty for today."

"Eh?" the greenette exclaimed in disbelief. "Why me?"

Ryuuzaki-sensei gave her the expression that said: _I knew you wouldn't like it but I've got no options._ Ryoma felt her jaw drop. "Why me? Why not Ryuuzaki?"

"I already asked her last night. And she refused." At this, Ryoma glared at the brunette half-heartedly. Sakuno just giggled, a little bit sheepish. "I'm sorry but it's kinda urgent. I'm having a meeting with someone today."

The former Prince couldn't help but to scowl. "What if I say I don't want to?" she said bluntly, surprising the coach even though she wasn't supposed to be.

Ryuuzaki-sensei grinned. "You won't, because it is an order, Ryoma."

Ryoma flinched at her name that was said in a malicious tone. "Fine."

O_O

"I'm not talking to you," Ryoma said harshly for the umpteenth time, turning to face the other way opposite the brunette that liked to call herself Ryoma's friend. Sakuno just chuckled, fully confident that the girl was not harboring any ill feelings for her.

Another chuckle was heard and the princess finally turned to gaze at them. Fuji was standing beside Sakuno, preparing for the Singles Two match.

They had lost Doubles One (Kaidoh's Tornado Snake somehow didn't work and it hit Momoshiro's face instead, making him lose his consciousness.) and won Doubles Two and Singles Three. And now it was Fuji's time to play.

"Ne, Echizen," Fuji started, smiling gently as his eyes lingered to the freshman. "Watch me closely, ne?"

Ryoma blinked at the odd tone in the tensai's voice. She nodded, anyway.

"I'm really sorry, Ryoma-kun," Sakuno sang, smiling sweetly, and Ryoma had the inkling that the girl wasn't sorry at all. She blinked as the brunette shoved a cold can of soda in her hands. "That's the token of my apology. And I'm gonna treat you parfait later. So sorry, ne?"

The greenette opened her mouth to protest, but the PA System cut her.

"Ah," Sakuno blinked. "Gotta go." And she immediately vanished as she ran off to jump on the somewhat high wall dividing the tennis court and audience area.

Ryoma looked at her momentarily, before switching her attention to the tensai, who was padding gracefully to the middle of the court to shake hands with his opponent.

O_O

Ryoma never had the chance to watch Fuji closely, as images kept flashing before her eyes at every whack of balls to the rackets that reached her ears. She wasn't like that at the previous matches, so she thought she might go crazy in the middle of the tournament.

Fortunately, she managed to get a hold of herself. Her tight death-grip to the edge of the bench helped. She would also thank Fuji later for finishing the match quickly.

She sighed, leaning back from the faucet and wiping her face with a towel. She had immediately run off to wash her face after the tournament as she was getting irritated with the cold sweat dripping down her neck.

Those sneers and snorts of laughter suddenly rang continually in her ears and she shuddered, bringing her arms around herself. She closed her eyes tightly.

Wrong move, as another painful recollection forced itself into her mind for the umpteenth time.

"_Oyaji! Hit the left ledge of the trunk!" I ordered panicky. I raised my arm and served a rock using a single twig. I watched as the tree trunk change its direction that, instead of falling on me, it fell on the river beside the tall rock I was on._

_I never did have the chance to wonder whether I did the right thing as a large wave of water splashed into me, sending me flying with it. _

_The next thing I felt was my lungs being on fire and my breathing getting constricted. And then—_

_I can't effin' breathe._

"Echizen?"

That snapped her out of her thoughts. She jerked uncontrollably, looking at the speaker. "I—Inui-senpai."

"Are you okay? You look rather pale," the data man stated, fixing his eyes on her. Ryoma assumed that he was talking with his someone as his hand was by his ear. "Ah. Excuse me for a while." Inui turned around. "Yes, Renji. Ah, where? Twenty yards to the left from the entrance of the tennis garden, eh? Got it. Okay. There's a hundred percent that Tezuka will agree. Yes. Yes. No, not that one. Bye."

Inui punched some buttons on his phone as he turned to face the greenette. "Rikkai Dai's just invited us to lunch. This will be a good opportunity to gather more data." Inui's glasses glinted maliciously and his very own Inui grin flashed across his lips.

O_O

"Are you really Echizen Ryoma?" Emerald orbs bore against Ryoma's head. She sighed. She thought that she can finally have a peaceful lunch after being constantly pestered by Sakuno into forgiving her.

She looked up at Kirihara Akaya—or at least she heard his name was—before looking back down to continue her luxury of parfaits, completely ignoring him.

"She's really Ryoma-kun, Kirihara-kun," Sakuno sat beside Ryoma, serving her another parfait. She inwardly mourned at the loss of her money. The girl could be quite bossy sometimes.

The brunette paused, thinking how ironic it was that Ryoma was always bossy in the past and she wasn't even complaining.

Kirihara huffed. "I'm glad I hadn't played him—her. Or else I'll be having the real shocker of my life," he stole a glance at the fukubuchou who was silently moping on a corner. Then he turned to Sakuno. "And call me Akaya, Sakuno-chan," he winked.

The braided brunette flushed. "S—Sure, Kiriha—Akaya-kun."

Ryoma cringed slightly at Sakuno's reaction. She didn't remember the girl acting like that. If only she knew that the brunette was exactly like that toward her three years ago. She glared at the seaweed-haired Rikkai Regular—thinking it was his fault—only to recognize it as a failed attempt as Kirihara wasn't looking at her.

She stole the cherry from Sakuno's parfait instead.

"Ryoma-kun!" the brunette pouted.

"Don't flirt," Ryoma smirked.

Sakuno was so stunned at the smirk that it took her a full minute before absorbing what the former Prince had told her. She blushed, along with Kirihara, who was defending himself (read: his pride) by sputtering lame excuses.

But when she thought of it, it was the first time since the incident that Ryoma let out a smirk like that. Sakuno smiled to herself. Her former crush will soon be back.

O_O

"Yukimura's still not here," Sanada stated for the umpteenth time that hour. He was constantly checking his watch, mildly irritated that the captain chose the day to be late when he was the one who insisted on having lunch with Seigaku.

Yanagi nodded beside him. "He's twenty-two minutes late. Considering the fact that he went back to discuss something to the owner of the tennis garden that held the Kantou Tournament, he must be back by now."

The fukubuchou—he was still the appointed vice-captain after all those years— only felt the need to take a pill of aspirin upon hearing their own data man's explanation. He certainly didn't want to hear those calculations at the moment.

"Ah, he's here." Yagyuu stated as he looked up from his book, eyes flickering as the teal-haired captain ran toward them.

Yukimura let out a huff. "I'm sorry I'm late," he flashed an apologetic smile to everyone. His eyes got locked with Tezuka, and his smile widened. "Tezuka."

He immediately darted toward the Seigaku's captain, offering a handshake. "I haven't seen your team in a while. I'm glad you accepted my request for lunch."

Tezuka nodded. "It's nothing, Yukimura. It's our pleasure to dine with the famous Rikkaidai," Tezuka responded politely.

Yukimura chuckled. "I feel slightly embarrassed being talked about like that by the captain of the team that had beaten us."

The captain blinked. "My apologies, then."

"Mura-buchou!" Kirihara's outburst made Ryoma and Sakuno to look at the newcomer.

When they locked gazes, Yukimura shared a thoughtful expression with the greenette for a few seconds as they both pondered over who the other one was. Yukimura then smiled, gentle. "Echizen-kun."

But Ryoma wasn't smiling as she stared at the teal-haired man. Her eyes were enlarged and unfocused. Her mouth was also parted slightly.

The spoon she was holding dropped.

_My heart felt like it was about to burst out of my chest. That man… he makes me feel that he can return all of my shots. When he really can..._

_I… should I still be playing? I will only lose in the end, considering the situation. He'd just wipe the court with me…_

_I'm scared…_

_I can't see nor hear anymore. Where the heck is the ball? I bet I'm shamefully walking around the court right now. Why did it go like this? Why am I letting myself like this? _

_I lost my balance—I figured because I can't move my feet anymore._

_Is tennis painful?_

_Is playing tennis always this painful?_

Ryoma's hand trembled as it inched to rake through her hair—sending her cap off her head. She let her head down, but her eyes were still wide, her chest thumping loudly. The voices calling out her name in concern drowned in the background, and she never heard them.

That scene repeatedly played before her eyes.

Ryoma screamed.

_I—I don't want to remember anything anymore!_

* * *

(1.) Hurrah for lame made-up puns!

**A/N: **Ne, please tell in your review if you've found any correction in the flashbacks, and in the grammar/spelling. XD I feel lazy. LOL.

Classes will start on June 7. I dunno when I can update next. :P

**R&R!**


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